The 2nd day was the first one with the tour guide. We went to Tianimen square and the forbidden palace. Tianimen is big, really big. It’s just a square with a few things on it. Mao’s mauseleum, the parliment building, and a museum. It is of course the sight of the student protests 10 years ago or so. There is a heavy police contingent, both uniformed and plain clothes, to prevent any more protests from breaking out.
The north side of the square has the gate to the forbidden city across a huge street. The forbidden city is really, really big. It’s over 1 kilometer long, and around 600-700 meters wide. This had to be one of the more impressive sights I have ever been to. I’m not usually much into tourist things, but I am really glad that I saw this. Most of the buildings have just been refurbished (there are two still undergoing renovations) and they look spectacular. I’ve got the pictures up, go take a look!
Isaac