Soldiers outside the entrance to the Forbidden City. I bought my copy of Mao's little red book (shown on the previous page) here from a street vendor.

My first view of this fabled place.

During the Ming dynasty (1368-1644) the imperial palace in the center of Beijing, also known as the Forbidden City, took shape as a magnificent architectural complex. It is the world's largest group of wooden structures. It has more than 9,000 rooms, covering 18 acres.



These bronze vats were used to hold water in case of fire.


Detail of door with bamboo steps.