When I first visited the Forbidden city in 1998, I was hobbling around the place as the trip was happening shortly after a motorbike accident that left me with a sprayed ankle. Then I came back in 2005 while on a business trip to Beijing. And again in 2025, when covering the Foton Global Dealer Conference. Accelerating the frequency, the fourth visit took place in April of this year.
The last two visits couldn't have been more different. Last year, there was a tour guide, who provided a lot of good insights into the history of the place. Should have taken his contact, but didn't know then that I would be back so soon. We went through the middle. Paced. Guided.
In April though, it was time for a couple's trip to the Palace Museum as it has been called for some time. Strangely, even though the name Forbidden City has been replaced in 1925, I have yet to come across anyone that refers to it by its new name. This time, it was a hard left, away from the throngs of people flooding the place. "Fun" fact: around 40 000 people visit daily. The temples, rooms and spaces away from the main alleyway are virtually devoid of people. Folks are being replaced with interesting exhibits: the history of porcelain, depictions of Buddha through the centuries and more could be visited.
