FORBIDDEN CITY - So called because the Ming and Qing dynasty emperors kept this pleasure dome off limits for 500 years, the Forbidden City or Imperial Palace is a massive network of restored buildings containing a stately 9999 and 1/2 rooms (the half-a-room contains a stairway, and the room count couldn't go any higher, as 10,000 rooms would make it like heaven). Now Beijing's Palace Museum, it is also a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Reopened to the public in 1949, the Forbidden City was once a hotbed of activity and intrigue as some 6000 eunuchs, concubines (of bound feet and varied status) and members of the Royal Household tried to outmaneuver each other.

Some of the frequent fires are said to have been started by court officials, but the Manchus did the most efficient job when they invaded in 1664, razing the place to the ground. The Japanese had a good try at looting the Imperial Palace on their way home and then the Kuomintang finished off that task by taking remaining treasures as they fled the Communists. So it is that the current buildings date from just the 18th to 19th centuries and many of the treasures have been imported from other parts of China.

The Forbidden Palace is no less impressive for this. The grand gates, imposing courtyards and luxurious halls carry evocative names. The first of the ceremonial halls, the "Hall of Supreme Harmony", leads on to the "Hall of Middle Harmony", which leads to the "Hall of Preserving Harmony". From the balcony the Emperor would receive his ministers each morning and watch disciples touch their heads on the ground before him. Other duties included judging Confucian scholars and criminals and keeping track of wives and concubines.

Moving into the inner courtyard and former living quarters you find the elaborate "Palace of Heavenly Purity". Symbolism runs high here, through the colours used, the animals represented and the mixture of yin and yang. An audio tour can take you through the fascinating details.

Take a break in the Imperial Garden, a fine classical Chinese garden where stalls provide refreshments.