THE HILLMAN 2013 ASIAN ADVENTURE
100s of Photos Documenting a 6-week tour of
Malaysia ~ Singapore ~ Thailand ~ China
Section II: China
www.hillmanweb.com/china2013/china15.html
Photos by Bill and Sue-On
Captions by Sue-On (expanded from our FaceBook pages)
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Gallery 15: Forbidden City ~ Part III
Northwest corner of the Forbidden City, Beijing, China
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 The Hall of Preserving Harmony, was used for rehearsing ceremonies, 
and was also the site of the final stage of the Imperial examination.
 The Hall of Mental Cultivation 
where emperors gave audiences to officials 
from the reign of Qing Emperor Yongzheng
 The east chamber of the Hall of Mental Cultivation. 
There are two thrones separated by a gauze curtain. 
The Hall remains the same as its original 
when Empress Dowager Cixi reigned from behind the curtain.
 The west chamber of the Hall of Mental Cultivation, 
also called the Chamber of Personal Reign and Wisdom, 
where emperors met cabinet members and 
read proposals submitted by officials.
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 Entrance to the Imperial Garden
 Jerry tries to keep us moving!
 The crowd surging into a garden of peaceful meditation?!
 The Pavilion of Eternal Spring.
 So many beautiful rooftops to admire.
 Ancient cypress trees in the Imperial Garden.
 Natural sculptures
 An archway leading into other parts of the garden.
 The Tower of Rain Flowers 
was reserved for the worship of Buddha in the Forbidden City. 
The ridges are decorated with four golden dragons. 
The tower houses many statues and ritual artifacts of Tibetan Buddhism.
 We finally made our way to the right exit, on time, 
much to the relief of our tour guide.
 It's been a long morning, and we are ready for lunch!
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BACK TO CHINA CONTENTS

Hundreds of Photos with Captions
CHINA
MALAYSIA / SINGAPORE
Singapore ~ Malaysia

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Web Design:  Bill Hillman
Bill and Sue-On Hillman Eclectic Studio
hillmanweb.com
Brandon, Manitoba, Canada