An Ancient City

The Forbidden City

7/15/15 – I’m sitting outside the garden of the Forbidden City. There is a large plaza in front of me with an enormous amount of people. I can see the tops of the temples over the outside wall of the city. In the city I was surprised at the lack of any landscape elements, except in the actual gardens. Perhaps this suggests that all the plazas and squares inside were used for large gatherings. What interested me most about other tourists was their interest in the culture and history of China and yet the complete lack of regard and respects for the building elements. I saw many people leave trash on the temples, a few people spit on the historic site, and even one person let their kid pee in front of a temple. It seems that it is accepted within this culture to treat historical elements in this manner.