My Day in the Golden City

October 12

Today, my feet are incredibly sore, but my mind is still spinning with images of gold and red. We spent the entire day exploring the Forbidden City in the heart of Beijing! When we first walked through the massive Meridian Gate, I felt like an ant entering a kingdom of giants. The paved courtyard was so vast that it looked like a stone ocean. Our guide told us that emperors used to review their armies here. I could almost hear the sound of ancient drums echoing off the high red walls.

The architecture here is unlike anything I have ever seen. Every single building has a roof made of glazed yellow tiles that gleam like real gold under the autumn sun. I learned that yellow was the imperial color, reserved only for the emperor. As we walked up the carved marble staircases of the Hall of Supreme Harmony, I noticed row after row of stone dragon heads. My dad explained that these dragons are actually clever waterspouts that drain rainwater during big storms. I touched one of the smooth, cool dragon heads and wondered how many centuries of rain it had seen.

My favorite part of the day was when we escaped the main tourist path and slipped into the quieter, hidden courtyards. Away from the crowds, these secret gardens felt like a different world. We found a small courtyard with ancient, twisted cypress trees that looked like sleeping giants. In the center was a beautiful rock garden, with pathways that curved around tiny ponds. I sat on a stone bench and watched a bright orange koi fish swim lazily under a lily pad. It was so peaceful that I forgot we were in the middle of a bustling city of over twenty million people.

Before we left, I looked up at the corners of the roofs. There were tiny ceramic statues of mythical beasts sitting in a neat line. The guide told us these creatures protect the buildings from fire and bad luck. I bought a small wooden dragon keychain from the gift shop to remind me of this magical place. Writing this in our hotel room, I keep looking at my keychain, wishing I could go back tomorrow and find even more hidden pathways.