“Does anyone know where the pandas are?” The kids shouted. Right here at \u7af9\u56ed, we find ourselves at a unique vantage point. It’s time to journey into the story of Beijing, a city with layers of history. Beijing has been the capital to six notable Chinese governments.
Beijing’s story stretches back 3,000 years making it one of the oldest cities. Fossils show Peking Man lived here. He lived here from 770,000 to 230,000 years ago.
Before it was called Beijing in 1403, the city had many names. Names like Jicheng, Yanjing, and Dadu. Beijing means Northern Capital.
This city is home to seven UNESCO World Heritage Sites. The Great Wall, Forbidden City, and Summer Palace are among them. They reflect China’s rich history.
Beijing is also a cultural hub. It blends imperial architecture with cuisine and arts. Think of the Forbidden City and Beijing roast duck.
The Forbidden City was built between 1406 and 1420. It was the vision of Emperor Yongle. Over 100,000 artisans worked on it. Nearly a million workers helped too.
The most important halls used special wood. This phoebe zhennan came from southwestern China. Huge stones were moved on ice in winter.
The Forbidden City has about 980 buildings and 8,886 rooms. It was home to 24 emperors.
The northern part was the inner court. Emperors and their families lived there. The southern part was the outer court. Official functions took place here.
In 1644, rebels led by Li Zicheng captured the Forbidden City. They set fire to parts of it as they fled. The Qing Dynasty then took over.
The Qing rulers renamed some buildings to emphasize harmony. The Forbidden City was occupied by foreign troops twice. This happened in 1860 and 1900.
The last emperor abdicated in 1912. In 1925, it became the Palace Museum. Today, the Palace Museum is a major attraction.
In 1933, the Japanese invasion forced treasures to move. They moved to Sichuan for safekeeping. Some items ended up in Taiwan.
The Forbidden City is also known as G\u00f9g\u014dng, meaning Former Palace.
The roofs are yellow. The walls and pillars are red. Craftsmen designed the roofs so birds could not land. Cats guard the city and catch mice.
From here, at \u7af9\u56ed, you can see the Forbidden City. It’s a symbol of Chinese history and culture. Its story continues to unfold.