Forbidden city, China. At present it is called "Gongun" - "Former Palace"

All the buildings were made of wood, so it is not surprising that the Forbidden City was repeatedly burned and rebuilt. The word "Purple" in the title implies the Polar Star, which was considered the abode of the Jade Ruler. Just as all the stars in the sky make their turn around the motionless Polaris, so the emperor in the Forbidden City is in non-action and rules the Celestial. The Forbidden City is the semantic center not only of Beijing, but of all of China. According to one legend, the place for its construction was determined by astronomers and it is, in their opinion, exactly in the center of the globe.

The exhibition of Gugun, like many other museums of a similar scale, cannot be viewed at once. One of the gardens of the Forbidden City is the Imperial (Yuhuayuan). In a small area concentrated plants, fancy stones, water and pavilions. Here come a huge number of people from the most remote corners of China, as well as many foreigners. There are many scandalous stories in which it is impossible to distinguish truth from fiction when the Forbidden City is described.

A distant and mysterious China is also called the Celestial. The ancient Chinese considered their country the only one in the world protected by heaven, and rulers were revered as "sons of heaven." Or, maybe, such a poetic name inspired by the highest mountain system of the planet located here - the Himalayas? It is difficult to say for sure. But one thing is certain: every tourist who comes here will definitely become a bit Chinese, because it's impossible to not feel the local culture, the original customs of the ancient people, its culinary traditions and no less bright modernity!

The tranquility and grandeur of Tibet, the majestic Himalayas, the unique landscapes of Gansu province, the Gobi desert in the north and the warm seas in the eastern part of the country - all this is China. The local nature seems to be specially created so that the traveler immediately forgot about the daily bustle and rested from the noise of megalopolises, gaining vivid and unforgettable impressions.

The Forbidden City was built in strict accordance with the rules of Chinese geomancy - Feng Shui. The emperor was not only the ruler of a great country, but was also endowed with sacred status and priestly functions, mediating between Heaven and Earth, therefore every detail in Gugun has a certain meaning. In 1644, when the Ming dynasty was overthrown by the Manchus, the city was plundered. But the Manchu rulers, who came to power under the name of the Qing dynasty, restored it to its former glory.

New temples and palaces were erected, ponds were dug, gardens of incredible beauty were laid out. By the XVIII century, the city approached the zenith of its magnificence. The forbidden city is surrounded on all sides by a moat, above which impenetrable walls rise 10.4 meters high. A water moat is called "Golden Water". The whole area is paved, only in some places green blades of grass make their way. It is surrounded on all sides by purple and gold buildings.

Despite the fact that most of the palace complex is open to visitors today, the history of the Forbidden City still remains a mystery in many ways. According to one of the legends, the design of the Forbidden City came in a dream to a monk who painted projects for Prince Zhu Di at the end of the 14th century. Becoming the emperor of China, he began the embodiment of his dreams.

It is believed that the first people in China lived already 7 million years ago. Whether you like it or not, in China they will certainly pay attention to you. Despite the huge flow of tourists from America and Europe, people from other countries and with their appearance still arouse considerable interest and curiosity - do not be surprised if the locals want to take pictures with you on the street or in a public place.

The main food of the Han people is rice, while the inhabitants of the northern regions prefer flour products. Han people love vegetables, beans, meat, fish and eggs, pay great attention to cooking. Chinese cuisine is traditionally divided into four areas: southern, northern, eastern and western. The dishes of the southern cuisine are sweetish in the bite, the northern one is brackish, the eastern one is spicy, and the western one is sour. Nowadays, on this basis, there are already mainly 8 cooking schools, to which the Hunan, Sichuan, northeast, Guangdong and others belong. Wine and tea are the main drinks of the Han Chinese.

China is the birthplace of tea. China also is one of the countries in the world where the technology of distillation was invented, thanks to this, the culture of wine and tea drinking has a long history of development. In addition to wine and tea, people in various areas of residence eat food and drinks made from different fruits. Han people have many traditional national holidays - the Spring Festival (New Year on the Lunar calendar), the Yuanxiao holiday (the 15th day of the first month of the Lunar calendar), the Pure Light festival (the 5th day of the fourth month of the Lunar calendar), the Duanwu holiday ( 5th of the fifth month according to the Lunar calendar), the holiday "Mid-Autumn" (15th of the eighth month according to the Lunar calendar).

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