The Forbidden City you probably didn’t know about

Moving to Shenyang

Today we go to Shenyang to visit its Forbidden City.  This was a relatively late add-on to my plan, made possible by shaving one night off Dandong which comes after.

We left at 0800 by car to Harbin station where we got dropped off in an underground area.

For some reason, our train left from a separate area where there was provision for a second security check which wasn’t operational.  Our tickets were checked though.

Our high speed train departed at 0911 on time and got us to Shenyang North at 1128.  I noticed some flooding along the way, left over from what I had seen in the days before on TV.

We got a taxi from the underground pick-up area to take us to our centrally-located Manxing Hotel near the pedestrian street.  We were very fortunate to get our room straight away, some 2h before the official check-in time.

The room (and bathroom) was large and very upmarket for the price.  D was feeling worn out from the short journey and ordered delivery lunch while I went out in the searing heat to look for options.

I had some delicious dumplings and supplemented it with snacks that I could take back to the room to share.

Shenyang’s Forbidden City

We rested till around 1530 when we thought it would be safe enough from the heat to go to Shenyang’s Forbidden City.

D was ready for more food and we stopped at McDonald’s before finding our way, through the most shaded paths, to the Forbidden City’s ticket office.  Temperature was in the mid-30s, super-sunny and windy.

China’s lesser-known Forbidden City in Shenyang was built in 1625 as the palace of the Manchus (a distinct ethnic group from ethnic Chinese “Han”). So, it was built about two decades before they conquered Beijing and established the Qing Dynasty, China’s last imperial dynasty.  Despite that, its counterpart is technically older as it had been built by the previous dynasty, even though a lot of what standing today is newer.

Today, around 10 million people identify as Manchu, but most have been assimilated into mainstream Chinese society, with relatively few still speaking the Manchu language or maintaining traditional customs.
Despite conquering China, the Manchus were ultimately absorbed into the much larger Han Chinese population over the following centuries.

I noticed that there were two throne rooms in the Forbidden City.  I looked it up and the explanation was as follows:

• The iconic octagonal one, Dazheng Hall (Hall of Great Affairs)  is the original one used for high ceremonies.  It is so shaped to resemble a nomadic Manchu yurt.
• The rectangular Chongzheng Hall (Golden Throne Hall) is the newer and lesser throne room used for daily activities.  It also moves away from the Manchurian yurt style.

With the extreme heat, our sightseeing was superficial.  It was hard to take a keen interest in the sight’s history in the heat and late afternoon humidity.  I did well to repeat a small part of the route to take better photos.

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Leaving the Forbidden City, D suggested we go look at the remains of the city wall (as opposed to the wall of the Forbidden City).  A disappointment would be an understatement as the remaining section of the city wall was miniscule.

Disappointing remains of Shenyang’s city wall.

We finished the day with a Manchu dinner in a fancy restaurant before walking back to our very nice hotel.