This morning early I walked from the hotel to the entrance to the Forbidden City, the palace of the last dynasty of emperors in China. I found a ticket line and stood in it. Soon a woman came up to me and asked if I wanted a guide. Since my boss had recommended picking up a guide, I said “yes” after enquiring the price (200 RMB–about $30). She then informed me I was standing in the wrong line and took me to the correct line. (I wonder if she would have told me if I hadn’t hired her.)
My boss had told me that you can’t see that much because they sort of herd you down the middle, and in fact, down the middle is where most people go. But my guide showed me around many side rooms away from the main crowds. She told me that the main buildings were all ransacked by Chang Kai Sheck and now reside in a museum in Taiwan. She said I could go back by myself if I wanted to later.
She told me many stories of life in the palace. The most interesting were about the “Dragon Lady” who started as a low-level concubine. By a combination of her own cleverness (She bribed the chief eunuch to arrange for the emperor to see her) and luck (she ended up bearing the emperor’s first and only son.) She rose to the highest levels of power.
The guide described the life of the last emperor and told me that he has a nephew who is still alive and living in Beijing. He is a professor at a university here. He is also a skilled calligrapher and sometimes donates his time to the Forbidden City by drawing calligraphy for visitors. She said he is only there occasionally, but she took me to the pace where he comes, and he was there. I had him draw me a calligraphy of the characters for “Do Nothing” meaning sometimes it is better to take no action and let thing to progress as they will.
We then went to a tea house on the grounds We were given samples of various kinds of tea This is the opportunity I had missed yesterday so I was glad I came. We then rode on a bus back to the entrance of the Forbidden City. I wouldn’t have tried to ride it by myself, but the guide came with me since she had to start over with the next tourist she could find. The bus cost 1 RMB (about 18 cents). Finally something not overpriced! Of course the busses are for the locals not the tourists.
When we got off the bus, the guide showed me a US $20 bill and asked me if it was genuine. I said I couldn’t tell but it looked fake to me. It was old (before all the high-tech anti-counterfitting things were added). I couldn’t see any red or blue threads in the paper, but the bill was pretty worn. She then gave me a $5 bill and said I could have it. It has a small tear and she said no Chinese bank or merchant would accept it.
I then walked across the street to Tienanmen Square. As my boss had told me, it’s big but there’s not much to see. To me it is symbolic of the pro-democracy movement.
From there I went to a series of small winding streets with small shops. I think it’s called “Old Beijing.” I ate lunch in some noodle shop.
I wandered around some more after lunch until my feet got tired then went back to the hotel.
There I looked up the story of the emperor’s nephew. It’s a scam! The last emperor’s nephew is indeed alive and living in Beijing, bot I don’t think he does calligraphy at the Forbidden City. I saw pictures of some other tourist posing with “the emperor’s nephew” but it’s a different guy! http://community.
Anyway in the evening I went Wangfujing street, specifically looking for the Apple store. I easily found it (although the directions I had been given were a bit round-about. I guess the Beijing Apple store rivals the one in Manhattan for size and fame. This one is three stories tall and is full of people trying out iPads, iPhones, Macintoshes etc. I asked them if they have the iPhone 5. they said “no”.
Next I went to the Peking Duck restaurant whose entrance I had photographed a couple of days ago. I ordered half a duck which I was afraid would be too much. It was somewhat but I go through a lot of it. It was served with the thin crepe-like wrapper rather than the steamed bread. (I prefer the latter, but this was good.
Upon further investigation, I don’t think the scroll was a scam. According to more thorough web research my wife did, there is evidence this guy is who he claims to be. Apparently there are more than one nephew (not surprising).
I also got a guide in a similar manner and she was extremely knowledgeable and said she was currently at university and this added to her income and got us in ( a work colleague was also with me) very quickly through a faster line that she explained could only be used by guided tours which seemed to make sense. She took us all over and through the less travelled areas. The “nephew” was also working that day and while the scroll I purchased was more expensive than other items I purchased during my stay I still treasure it, it was handwritten beautifully on a lovely silk scroll. I have it hanging in my home because how often are you likely to be able to visit the Forbidden City. Even if the definition of nephew is being stretched it is ok because it is a wonderful tale to tell others and it is a fact that there are a lot of descendants of the Emperor and so it is possible, maybe, that a few have ended up as master calligraphers
Thanks for your comment. I, too, have come to treasure the scroll. My Chinese co-worker looked at it and said the calligraphy was beautifully done. And I have always liked the message: “Do nothing.” It reminds me that I don’t always have to respond to everything. It has changed my attitude on many occasions and in that small way has changed my life.