Attraction - Forbidden City Review
- Michael
- Nov 1, 2019
- 1 min read
Updated: May 26, 2020
Crowded
4*
Being an iconic landmark in Beijing we of course had to visit. The entrance is impressive after arriving at Tiananmen East subway station (note: you need passports ready just to get into Tiananmen square, let alone the Forbidden City). Entering into the Forbidden City sees you go under multiple huge walls that all look the same, then you come to the ticket purchasing and entrance area. It is slightly confusing if you're not Chinese and don't already have a ticket; cash payments are processed in a few small windows to the right (when looking towards the Forbidden City) and your Passport number is used as the ticket when you get to the entrance.
Inside there is a lot of walking but the temples are impressive, albeit a bit repetitive/similar, and many were down shut off roads. Definitely the biggest issue was the number of people, you find yourself nearly being pushed off stairs when walking up and thrown into mosh pits at the viewing points for some main temples, so it can be slightly daunting. They have a limit of 80,000 people and I assume it was not reached on the day we visited so I can't imagine what it would be like at the height of peak season... There are some nice areas off the main paths though, with pleasant gardens and smaller temples. There is enough to fill the day and it's worth the experience, only costing 120RMB for two people; I would not visit during 'peak peak' times however.
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