The Forbidden City was the Chinese imperial palace from the mid-Ming Dynasty to the end of the Qin Dynasty. It is located in the middle of Beijing.
Detailed animals ornament the roof lines in the Forbidden City. Led by a man riding a hen or phoenix, followed by imperial dragons, believed to ward off danger.
Day Two: As the sun rose, we walked to Tiananmen Square to observe a flag-raising ceremony conducted by the Chinese military. We ended our time in Beijing by touring the Forbidden City, a nearly 250-acre complex of 800-plus buildings that housed the Ming and Qing emperors, their concubines (妾；妃子) and governmental officials.
The buildings are adorned (修饰) with symbolic details, colors of royalty (皇室，王权), beautiful gardens and large courtyards (院子). The Forbidden City remains encircled by a 30-foot wall and a moat (护城河) almost 20 feet (1 foot = 0.3048 meter) deep.
Our new friends also treated us to a traditional Chinese body and foot massage. The cost of this experience is a fraction (一小部分) of what it would be in the United States.
With our hosts, we devoured (狼吞虎咽地吃) the famously prepared Peking duck. The main course is filleted (切成薄片) in the presence of the dinner party. The crispy (松脆的) bites of meat were moist and served with a slender cake, hoisin [(中国式烹饪中使用的由酱油、蒜泥等调制成的)海鲜沙司] sauce and spring onions.