The Majestic Forbidden City, Beijing

China is one of the world's oldest civilization and the relics from its glorious past can be found anywhere in this vast country. But there are two places in the country that are considered to be the best examples of the engineering feats of Chinese civilizations of the past. One is the Great Wall; the longest man made structure that stretches for thousands of miles. The other is the complex with majestic wooden palaces of the mysterious Forbidden City in Beijing.

The huge complex consists of 980 buildings and covers an area of more than 720,000 square meters. It is considered as the most magnificent sightseeing opportunity in Beijing and hundreds of thousands of visitors head to the Forbidden City each year to be inspired by its grandeur and majesty, and to get an idea of the lifestyle of the Chinese emperors that resided in this complex with their household.Built between 1405 and 1420 the Forbidden City remained off limit to the local public and acted as the ceremonial and political capital of the nation under the Ming and Qing Dynasties.

Now located adjacent to the famous Tiananmen Square, it always tops the list of must see places for the tourists who take a cheap flight to Beijing.

As soon as put your feet in this mysterious place you get that awesome feeling of being in some place sacred. This was the place from where 24 emperors ruled the ancient china for more than 500 years. The best way to explore the complex is in company of a seasoned guide who will provide you ample information about the architecture and history of the place but beware of the fake guides who will know nothing about the place and just want to rip you off your cash. Instead always try to hire a registered guide or ask your hotel to arrange a tour for you if you are travelling with a group.

The best way to enter the complex is through its south gate called the Wu Men or Meridian Gate. It is a marvellous piece of art with five golden tiled pavilions that look like phoenixes that are connected to the gate and are the reasons for its alternative name of Five Phoenix Gate. The gate has five entrances and in ancient china the middle entrance was for the emperor himself while the rest of the four were for the ministers and other dignitaries of the state, but today you can enter the complex through any entrance you like to.

As the complex is huge so it's hard to say what the places that one must see are, but there is one that you should not miss. It's the grand outer court of the imperial palace with its four halls, the largest of them all is called the hall of Supreme Harmony and was used for conducting large ceremonies. The hall in itself is a magnificent piece of architecture with the golden dragon shape pillars all around it and the golden bricks of fine quality used to make beautiful designs on its floor. The Forbidden city will not only provide you with an opportunity for learning something regarding the ancient China but it's also great for taking some memorable photographs.