Beijing: Tiananmen Square and the Forbidden City

I am not sure if this attraction is ever free from hordes of people.
We visited on a Sunday in September and there were tens of thousands of visitors. Many we were told were coming to visit the Mausoleum of Mao Zedong in Tiananmen Square. The body of Mao is soon to be moved from Beijing to a burial in his home state and the next few months provide the last opportunity to view the body of this Chinese icon.

Mausoleum of Mao Zedong

Security cameras

Sreet crossing numbers are controlled by the police to avoid crushing.

Tiananmen Square Great Hall of the people in background

The Gate Tower to Forbidden City

 

Entrance to The Forbidden City from Tiananmen Square

The volume of tourists at Forbidden City can be rather overwhelming but once you start walking around this massive complex the crowds seem to dissipate in the spacious 72 heactare grounds. With patience you can easily enjoy all this historical site has to offer. 
Built during the Ming Dynasty and finished in the Qing Dynasty the Forbidden City was home to Emperors for 500 years as well as acting as an important ceremonial centre for the general population of China although there were many areas that they could not enter. Today the Chinese celebrate the accessibilty to this wonder.
There are 980 builidings in the complex and the paltial architecture has achieved World Heritage Status listing the Forbidden City as the largest collection of preserved wooden buildings in the world.

Throne room in the Palace of Heavenly Purity.