Cat goes to the Forbidden City

It was a cold morning in Beijing, so I bundled up and wobbled over to the Forbidden City. Hmmm, if I were the Princess of China, the entrance to the Forbidden City would look like this... not bad huh, or should I include a glamour shot instead?

And here is where I'd meet the cabinet and decide on the major policies of the day -- first, all lobsters and seafood of every kind will be shipped to Beijing for my consumption and second, all cute guys will be gathered up and sent to the FC to be part of my harem, hehehe... They can live in the building behind the main administration hall...

Oh yeah, here is a long walkway in the FC... I guess overflow harem could camp out here...

Back alley way, where I lost my favorite glove.

Close up of a hallway -- I like to take these "depth" shots.

Gargoyles, guarding over the lords and ladies of the Forbidden City.

Windows at the FC...contrast in light and dark.

Royal Theater

And the Emperor would sit here to watch Beijing Opera... like all good Chinese, he even kept the plastic cover on his seat.

Nine Dragon Wall...nine dragon motifs are the emperor's exclusive trademark...if you are a commoner and wear nine dragon motifs, you are in big trouble!

Back area of the Forbidden City. It was a cold, crisp and super dry day. My lips were chapped and swollen after just a few hours outside... I sort of had a permanent pout for the remainder of the day.

The local yo-yo club in the FC... have no idea why they were there, guess if you yo-yo, might as well yo-yo at the Forbidden City.

Here is the view outside the back entrance of the Forbidden City. When the Manchurians invaded Ming Dynasty China, the last Ming emperor committed suicide in the garden on the hill, marking the end of Han Chinese rule until 1911 when the Manchurian Ching Dynasty was itself overthrown by republicans.