Beijing 2014 - Tiananmen Square and Palace Museum

No visit to Beijing is complete without seeing the Tiananmen Square and Forbidden City/Palace Museum.  It was our first stop on Day 1 of the tour.  Unfortunately, we were not able to enter the square because it was cordoned off for an official event.  We just took photos from afar, then proceeded to the Forbidden City.

Tiananmen Square
Tiananmen Square is a large city square in the center of Beijing, China, named after the Tiananmen gate (Gate of Heavenly Peace) located to its North, separating it from the Forbidden City. Tiananmen Square is the fourth largest city square in the world (440,000 m2). It has great cultural significance as it was the site of several important events in Chinese history. (From Wikipedia)

Fobidden City/Palace Museum
The Forbidden City was the Chinese imperial palace from the Ming dynasty to the end of the Qing dynasty. It is located in the center of Beijing, China, and now houses the Palace Museum. For almost 500 years, it served as the home of emperors and their households, as well as the ceremonial and political center of Chinese government.  Built in 1406 to 1420, the complex consists of 980 buildings and covers 72 ha.  The Forbidden City was declared a World Heritage Site in 1987, and is listed by UNESCO as the largest collection of preserved ancient wooden structures in the world. (From Wikipedia)

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