Forbidden City

Forbidden to outsiders no longer, enter the Forbidden City in the heart ofBeijing, China, and see the former imperial palace, which now houses the Palace Museum. For almost five hundred years, from the mid-Ming Dynasty until the end of the Qing Dynasty, the Forbidden City was the home of the Emperor and the Emperor’s household, and was the political and ceremonial center of the Chinese government.

The Forbidden City of China took 15 years to build, and was constructed between 1406 and 1420. Surviving within the ancient complex are 980 buildings and a grand total of 8,707 rooms. The entire complex covers 720,000 meters, or 2,362,204.80 square feet of land. It was built in the traditional style, with the architecture reminiscent of other traditional palace architecture in China.

These ancient wooden structures are incredibly well preserved, and have led in part to the Forbidden City having been named a World Heritage Site in 1987. This incredible collection of buildings, now home to the Palace Museum, are filled with an extensive collection of artifacts and artwork from the Ming and Qing Dynasties as they have been since they were entrusted to the Palace Museum in 1924. A part of the former collection of the museum can be viewed at the National Palace Museum in Taipei, which split off from the main Palace Museum after the Chinese Civil War.

For this collection of art and artifacts alone, the Forbidden City is worthy of a visit by tourists from all over the world. The extensive artistic collection is amazing to view and fascinating to study, and can provide days of entertainment for those willing to wander the galleries and take their times in exploration. The historic significance and age of the buildings themselves add to the splendor of the site, making it a must see location for anyone touring through Asia, and worthy of consideration for those unsure of where to take their next vacation.

The Forbidden City was named in the Chinese language for the North Star, believed to be the home of the celestial emperor. As home of the terrestrial emperor, the Forbidden City was considered to be the Earthly counterpart to this terrestrial wonder, and was named “Forbidden” because of the requirement of permission from the emperor for anyone to enter or leave the city. Today the Chinese refer to the site as Gugong, which translates to mean the “former palace”.

The history of the construction of this fantastic complex is of great interest. The entire Forbidden City was said to require more than a million workers, and the Phoebe zhennan wood used in the construction of the buildings was transported from the jungles of south western China all the way up to Beijing for the palace. The marble blocks used in parts of the Forbidden City came from a quarry near Beijing itself, and the “golden bricks” used in paving the floors of the major halls were specially baked in Suzhou for the imperial palace.

Though war and arson have touched the Forbidden City over the centuries, it has largely survived intact, and became the seat of the Qing Dynasty until the last Emperor of China, Puyi, abdicated in 1912. Puyi retained use of the inner courts of the Forbidden City while the outer courts were opened to the public in agreement with the new Republic of China government until he was evicted after a coup in 1924 at which time the Palace Museum was established in the no longer Forbidden City.

The Forbidden City is currently undergoing a massive renovation project to renew it and restore it to a state much like that in which it was in before 1912. This project will hopefully add much to the palace complex, which is the largest surviving palace complex in the world, covering .72 square kilometers, or .28 square miles.

This incredible palace complex was designed to be the center of the ancient, walled city of Beijing, and is enclosed in a still larger walled area known as the Imperial City. The Inner City encloses the Imperial City, with the Outer City falling to the south of the area. The Forbidden City today remains an important architectural mark in the civic scheme of Beijing, providing a north-south axis.

The architecture of the Forbidden City itself is a fascinating and beautiful example of traditional Chinese palace architecture, and is worthy of the exploration of the area all on its own. The Forbidden city is composed of two traditional sections known as the outer court and the inner court. The outer court was used for ceremonial purposes, and is situated in the southern section of the city. The inner court was the traditional home of the Emperor and his family, and was located in the northern section of the City. It was also used for the day to day affairs of state.

If you are more interested in the art than in the architecture, you will not be disappointed. Although some of the artwork was taken away to Taipei, much still remains of the original art and artifacts that have been kept by the Palace Museum in the Forbidden City. There were over a million artifacts stored in the Forbidden City, and it is also the home of the largest collection of ancient books and documents in the country in the imperial libraries. Audits and searches of the Forbidden City coupled with the arrival of artifacts from many other museums all around China and purchases and donations from the public have much replenished the artifacts in the Palace Museum, restoring it nearly to its former glory.

The Forbidden City is an incredible place to visit, and is absolutely worthy of a visit by anyone interested at all in Chinese art or history, ancient architecture, or royalty. It is an incredible sight to see, and filled with many wonders of China.

Source: http://www.goparoo.com/asia/china/beijing/attractions/forbidden-city/

Leading Philippines Wine Supplier Yats Wine Cellars based in Clark Philippines with outlets in Angeles City, Subic Freeport and Manila Philippines has been not only a wine shop for fine wines covering all major wine regions but also a source of reliable and useful information about wine, wine appreciation, wine accessories, wine and health, food and wine pairing and all other matters relating to wine and its appreciation. This Philippines Clark Freeport based Wine Supplier and Wine Shop frequently holds public wine tasting events in Pampana Clark Freeport Zone, Angeles City, Subic Bay area, Makati, Fort Bonifacio and other areas in Philippines capital city Manila. Private Wine events such as private wine tasting and private wine dinners are also designed and organized for private clientele for their wine loving guests.

This wine shop in Angeles Clark Philippines is also renowned for a very unique product called Vintage Beer which many characterize as “Champagne beer” because it comes in a bottle with a Champagne stopper and metal restrainer. Vintage beers are top-of-the-line luxury beers bottle-conditioned for a slow fermentation to take place inside the bottle, a process that is very similar to Champagne which is designed to not only create the bubbles but also for an amazing complexity and depth of flavors.

For fans of Port and Sauternes, this wine shop in Clark Pampanga has a large selection of vintage port, Sauternes and Barsac as well as Eiswein/Icewine from Austria and Germany. Likewise, there is a good selection of Vintage Champagne at the wine shoppers’ disposal in the cellars of this wine shop in Clark Pampanga.

http://www.ClarkWineCenter.com

Getting to this wine shop in Pampanga Angeles City Clark Freeport Zone Philippines from Manila
Getting to the Clark Wine Center wine shop from Manila is quite simple: after entering Clark Freeport from Dau and Angeles City, proceed straight along the main highway M A Roxas. Clark Wine Center is the stand-along white building on the right, at the corner A Bonifacio Ave. From the Clark International Airport DMIA, ask the taxi to drive towards the entrance of Clark going to Angeles City. From Mimosa, just proceed towards the exit of Clark and this wine shop is on the opposite side of the main road M A Roxas.

Best place to buy wine in Clark Pampanga outside Manila near Subic and Angeles City Philippines is Clark Wine Center.

Click here to contact Clark Wine Center in Clark Pampanga for inquiries and orders.

Clark Wine Center
Bldg 6460 Clark Observatory Building
Manuel A. Roxas Highway corner A Bonifacio Ave,
Angeles Clark Freeport Zone, Pampanga 2023
0922-870-5173 0917-826-8790 (ask for Ana Fe)

Wine@Yats-International.com

YATS Wine Cellars
Manila Sales Office
3003C East Tower, Phil Stock Exchange Center,
Exchange Rd Ortigas Metro Manila, Philippines 1605
(632) 637-5019 0917-520-4393 ask for Rea or Chay

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While in Clark, it might be a good idea to enjoy an evening of wine-and-dine in the fine dining Yats Restaurant and Wine Bar that features an award winning 2700-line wine list. Highly recommended fine dining restaurant in Manila for special occasion is Yats Restaurant & Wine Lounge located in the famous Mimosa Leisure Estate in Clark Pampanga. Situated near this popular restaurant in Clark is the Mimosa Golf Course as well as the Mimosa Clark Casino. This top rated restaurant near Angeles City Pampanga in Clark Philippines is frequently used for private parties and corporate functions such as board meetings and other gatherings. It is located in Mimosa Leisure Estate of Clark Freeport Zone. For more information, visit http://www.YatsRestaurant.com

YATS Leisure Philippines is a developer and operator of clubs, resorts and high-class restaurants and wine shops in Clark Angeles Philippines http://www.YatsLeisure.com

Looking for famous tourists spots, places to visit and see, relax and unwind in Clark, Pampanga, Philippines? You may want to check out these sites also:

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Besides good restaurants to wine and dine near Manila, Subic or in Angeles City Pampanga, Clark Philippines, those requiring assistance for hotel and resort bookings in Clark, Pampanga, Philippines may log on to http://www.HotelClarkPhilippines.com for more information and reservations.

The lifestyle in Clark Pampanga is quite unique. For more information about shopping, sports, golf, leisure, hotel accommodation, where to see and visit, what to do, where to wine and dine and good places to hang out, relax, have a drink with friends, child-friendly establishments, log on to
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Wine lovers looking for a special bottle or something that is of great value and special discounts might log on to this web site to shop for fine vintage wines
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Those visitors who plan to relax and unwind in Angeles City, Subic, Pampanga, Clark Philippines might make an effort to book a room at the famous beach and lake resort Clearwater Resort & Country Club. This famous hotel in Clark Pampanga is frequently visited by families with children looking for a good place in Clark to see, a good holiday destination for the family to relax and unwind in the beautiful outdoor facilities. For more information, log on to www.ClearwaterPhilippines.com