Tian'anmen Square and Forbidden City Discovery
Get picked up by your Beijing guide and driver from the hotel at about 8:30 am.
Visit Tian'anmen Square. It is the symbolic heart of China and a gathering place for the masses. It is the largest public square in the world and can hold one million people. See legendary landmarks including the Gate of the People and the Monument to the People's Heroes. You will also see Chairman Mao's Memorial Hall and the National Museum.
Marvel at the Forbidden City, situated exactly in the heart of the municipality and once home to 24 emperors of the Ming and Qing Dynasties. In ancient times, the emperor claimed to be the Son of Heaven, and therefore supreme power was believed to be conferred upon him from heaven. His residence on earth was built as a replica of the Purple Palace, where God lived in heaven. It has a 9,000-room maze of courtyards, palaces, and ceremonial halls, where 24 emperors once lived. The Forbidden City was indeed a forbidden place, where commoners were kept out for nearly 500 years in the past.
