Hello! Remember how I started blogging about my trip to China a million years ago? Like, dude, I haven’t even blogged past LUNCH on the first day.

So, in an attempt to clear out my list of drafts, here are some quick snaps of the ceilings and walls around the Forbidden City.

Gasp in amazement, ignorant western barbarians! Aren’t they incredibly ornate? It’s like Chinese Rococo (I love saying ‘Rococo’. Roh. Koh. Koh!). I shudder at the amount of labour it took to build all of that. And maintain it. Thanks American Express! Gosh, reminds me of Starbucks’ (former) complete world domination.*

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More photos from from the inner palace and (quite possibly) Qianlong’s garden.
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I’m rapidly losing interest in blogging the China photos. And 90% why is because my photos are craptaculatively mediocre.
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Many main palace buildings are built a bit above the ground level, on a (sometimes marble) platform. Staircases lead up to the level of the building. Some of them have what they call the “dragon path”.

The dragon path is the bit smack bang in the middle of the staircase. Only the emperor may walk on it.
I looked around for a not-so-main building, where the dragon path wasn’t fenced up. And I made sure to walk all over it

Actually it’s pretty difficult to walk on! Maybe the emperor got carried up on a palanquin, with the servants carrying it walking on the steps on either side of the path.

Cast iron statues of animals associated with Imperial China – dragon, deer, male and female lions. The female plays with a little lion cub, and the male plays with a ball, symbolising the earth. Or something like that.

Large, large bronze pots filled with water everywhere – these would be used in case of fires. During winter wood would be burned under them continually to keep them from freezing over. How decadent!

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