When you walk into the Meridian Gate of the Forbidden City, it seems like you are traveling through time and space and returning to the ancient royal world. As soon as you enter the Forbidden City, they are shocked by the magnificent buildings in front of you. Walking along the central axis, visiting the Hall of Supreme Harmony, the Hall of Central Harmony and Baohe Hall in turn. The Hall of Supreme Harmony is the largest and most spectacular building in the Forbidden City, and is a place where major ceremonies are held, such as the emperor's ascension to the throne, the wedding, etc. The Golden Dragon Throne in the hall is high above, surrounded by exquisite dragon pillars and gorgeous decorations, demonstrating the majesty and dignity of the royal family.

Li Xiao looked up at the Hall of Supreme Harmony and couldn't help but sigh: "This Hall of Supreme Harmony is so magnificent. Imagining the scene of an ancient emperor accepting worship from all officials here, it really makes people feel the supremacy of imperial power."

Zhang Yuedong also bought some beaded handkerchiefs, "These beaded handkerchiefs are very distinctive, and they will definitely like them when given to friends."

Lin Yifei has a special liking for fish-skin peanuts. He bought a few bags of fish-skin peanuts. "The fish-skin peanuts taste very good, fragrant and crispy. I want to buy more and eat them slowly."

Zhang Yuedong nodded in agreement: "Yes, these buildings are not only masterpieces of art, but also testimonies of history. They carry the rise, fall, honor and disgrace of the Ming and Qing dynasties for hundreds of years."

Zhonghe Hall is a place where the emperor rests before the ceremony at the Grand Hall of Supreme Harmony. It is relatively small in scale, but the architectural style is equally exquisite and elegant. Baohe Hall is a place where the emperor holds palace examinations and banquets with princes and nobles. The gold brick floor in the hall is as smooth as a mirror, reflecting the superb skills of ancient craftsmen.

After visiting the three halls, they came to the Qianqing Palace, Jiaotai Hall and Kunning Palace, which is where the emperor and the empress live. The architectural style of the inner court is more warm and full of life. The Qianqing Palace is the palace where the emperor handles daily government affairs and lives. The furnishings in the palace are simple and solemn. Jiaotai Hall is the place where the empress receives congratulations on major festivals. The plaque of "Wuwei" written by Emperor Kangxi was hung in the hall. Kunning Palace is the empress's bedroom, which is specially arranged according to the customs of the Manchus. The East Nuan Pavilion is the bridal chamber for the emperor's wedding.

During the visit to the Forbidden City, they also met a professional tour guide. The tour guide introduced them in detail the history, architectural characteristics and the story behind the Forbidden City, which gave them a deeper understanding of the Forbidden City. The tour guide told them that the architectural layout of the Forbidden City strictly follows the feudal etiquette system and embodies the idea of ​​"harmony between man and nature". The buildings on the central axis symbolize the supremacy of imperial power, while the palaces on the east and west sides were built to cooperate with the central axis, forming a complete architectural system.

"It turns out that there are so many considerations behind the Forbidden City's buildings. Every brick and every tiles contain profound cultural connotations." Lin Yifei said with emotion.

The tour guide smiled and said, "Yes, the Forbidden City is not only a palace, but also a vivid history textbook. It witnessed the glory and decline of ancient Chinese feudal society and is a treasure of the Chinese nation."

In addition to architecture, the Forbidden City also collects a large number of cultural relics and artworks, such as calligraphy and painting, ceramics, jade, gold and silver ware. They walked into the exhibition hall of the Forbidden City Museum and admired these precious cultural relics, as if they traveled through time and space and had an intimate dialogue with history. The exquisite calligraphy and painting works show the superb skills and unique artistic styles of ancient artists; exquisite ceramic ware reflects the outstanding achievements of ancient Chinese ceramic craftsmanship; and the exquisite jade and gold and silver ware all show the luxury and wealth of ancient royals.

"These cultural relics are really too precious. They are the crystallization of the wisdom and creativity of the Chinese nation." Li Xiao looked at the cultural relics in the display cabinet, his eyes full of awe.

Zhang Yuedong also nodded in agreement: "Yes, through these cultural relics, we can better understand the history and culture of ancient China and feel the wisdom and aesthetics of the ancients."

In the Forbidden City, they also visited the Imperial Garden. The Imperial Garden is a place for the emperor and his concubines to relax and entertain. The garden is covered with green trees, lush flowers and plants, and pavilions are arranged in an orderly manner, with a beautiful scenery. They strolled in the Imperial Garden, enjoying the beautiful scenery around them, and feeling the unique charm of the ancient royal garden. Duixue Mountain in the garden is an artificial rockery with an imperial view pavilion built on the mountain. Standing on the pavilion, you can overlook the entire Imperial Garden.

"This imperial garden is really beautiful. In ancient times, the emperor and concubines must have enjoyed flowers and walked here, which was very pleasant." Lin Yifei said with a smile.

Li Xiao also responded with a smile: "Yes, the scenery here makes people feel as if they are in a fairyland, far away from the hustle and bustle of the world."

After visiting the Forbidden City, it was already afternoon. The three of them started to roar. They decided to go to Nanluoguxiang to taste BJ's specialty food. Nanluoguxiang is one of the most representative alleys of BJ. It brings together various traditional snacks and specialty restaurants, full of the charm of old BJ.

As soon as you walk into Nanluoguxiang, the lively atmosphere comes to your face. The shops on both sides of the street are dazzling, and the aroma of various delicacies fills the air, making people salivate. They first come to a fried noodles restaurant and prepare to taste this traditional BJ delicacy. The fried noodles are a regular customer on the table of Beijingers. They are famous for their ripe noodles, rich fried sauce and rich side dishes. The fried noodles in this restaurant are dried fried in small bowls, separated oil sauce, and salty and delicious. After the noodles are cooked, they are taken into the bowl, put shredded cucumber, shredded radish, bean sprouts and other side dishes, and then pour a spoonful of rich fried sauce, stir evenly, and after one bite, it is full of the flavor of old BJ.

Li Xiao ate the fried noodles with sauce and praised them: "This fried noodles are so delicious, the noodles are so delicious, and the flavor of the fried noodles is also very rich, which is really satisfying."

Zhang Yuedong also ate with relish and said while eating: "That's right, this is the authentic Beijing fried noodles, which is completely different from what I eat in other places."

After eating the fried noodles, they came to a roast duck restaurant. Beijing roast duck is BJ's signature delicacy. It is famous for its crispy skin, tender meat, fat but not greasy. The roast duck in this restaurant is freshly roasted. The chef skillfully cuts the roast duck into thin slices and neatly placed on a plate. The duck meat is paired with pancakes, scallions, shredded cucumber and sweet noodle sauce, rolled it into the mouth. The duck meat is tender, the duck skin is crispy, the softness of the pancakes and the refreshing side dishes are blended with each other, with a rich taste and endless aftertaste.

"This roast duck is really delicious. It has crispy skin and tender flesh, and melts in the mouth. It is truly BJ's specialty food." Lin Yifei praised while eating the roast duck.

Li Xiao also smiled and said, "Yes, the taste of this roast duck is really amazing. If you don't eat roast duck, it's a waste of time to come to BJ."

In addition to fried noodles and roast duck, they also tasted other special snacks in Beijing, such as bean sauce, scorched circles, braised rice, etc. Bean sauce is a traditional BJ drink with a unique taste, sour and sweet. You may be a little uncomfortable when you first taste it, but the more you drink it, the more you feel it tastes. Braised rice is a fried pasta with crispy texture and eaten with soy sauce, which has a unique flavor. Braised rice is cooked with pig intestine, lung head, fire roast and other ingredients in marinade. It has a strong taste and a strong aroma.

After tasting the perfect food, they continued to stroll in Nanluoguxiang. There are many specialty shops here, selling various handicrafts, souvenirs and cultural and creative products. They walked into a cultural and creative shop, which was filled with various products related to BJ culture, such as Peking Opera Facebook, Rabbit Ye, Forbidden City cultural and creative products, etc. Peking Opera Facebook is a form of facial makeup for Peking Opera actors, which expresses the character and identity of the characters through different colors and patterns. Red represents loyalty, black represents righteousness, and white represents treacherousness. Each color and pattern contains rich cultural connotations. They selected a few exquisite Peking Opera Facebook photos and prepared to take them back as a souvenir.

Li Xiao held the Peking Opera mask and said with a smile: "These Peking Opera masks are really beautiful, each of which is lifelike. They are not only works of art, but also symbols of Peking Opera culture."

Zhang Yuedong also nodded in agreement: "Yes, Peking Opera is the national treasure of China. These facial makeups can help us better understand Peking Opera culture."

Then, they saw some rabbits. The rabbits are traditional handicrafts of BJ. It is a clay sculpture with rabbits as the image, with rich old Beijing characteristics. According to legend, the Jade Rabbit was sent to Beijing for treatment of the plague. After being cured, they returned to the Moon Palace. Therefore, the rabbits are also regarded as mascots, with the meaning of praying for blessings and exorcising evil spirits. The rabbits are now diverse in shapes, some riding tigers, some riding elephants, and some wearing various fashionable clothes, which are very cute. They selected a few rabbits with unique shapes and prepared to give them to their relatives and friends.

Lin Yifei picked up a rabbit, looked at it carefully, and said, "This rabbit is really cute. It is not only a handicraft, but also a representative of BJ traditional culture. I believe friends will definitely like it."

In Nanluoguxiang, they also encountered a Peking Opera performance. Peking Opera is the national treasure of China, with a unique singing style, performance form and artistic style. The actors wore gorgeous costumes and sang and chanted on the stage, and each move showed the unique charm of Peking Opera. They were attracted by this wonderful performance, so they found a seat to sit down and quietly appreciated. The actors' singing styles were beautiful and vivid, showing the charm of Peking Opera to the fullest. The audiences in the audience burst out from time to time with warm applause and cheers.

"This Peking Opera performance is really exciting. This is the first time I have watched Peking Opera up close. I am really impressed by its charm." Li Xiao was fascinated by his sight and couldn't help but sigh.

Zhang Yuedong also smiled and said, "Yes, Peking Opera is worthy of being the national treasure of China. It combines various art forms such as music, dance, and acrobatics, making people feel the profoundness of Chinese traditional culture."

After enjoying the Peking Opera performance, the sky gradually darkened. The three of them left Nanluoguxiang with full of harvest and joy. This day's BJ trip gave them a deeper understanding and love for the city. They look forward to continuing to explore more exciting BJ in the days to come.

After the BJ trip, the trip to China for the three was coming to an end. They embarked on the return journey with full luggage and a more fulfilling heart. On the train home, the three of them were in a bit complicated. They felt reluctant to part with the end of the trip, and were extremely satisfied with this unforgettable experience.

Li Xiao looked at the scenery passing by quickly outside the window and said with emotion: "This trip is really unforgettable. Every city has its unique charm, which allows me to see the vast land and colorful culture of my motherland."

Zhang Yuedong nodded in agreement: "Yes, the food and Three Kingdoms culture of Chengdu, the landscape and folk customs of Guilin, the literary atmosphere of Xiamen and the southern Fujian culture, and the historical monuments and traditional culture of BJ all left a deep impression on me."

Lin Yifei also smiled and said, "And through this trip, we not only enjoyed the beautiful scenery, tasted the food, but also met many interesting people and gained a lot of valuable friendships."

Looking back on every little bit of the journey, their hearts were filled with emotion. The amazement in the scenic area, the satisfaction in the food stall, the intoxication in folk performances, and the selection in specialty stores have all become the most precious fragments in their memory. Together, they felt the charm of the Three Kingdoms culture at Wuhou Temple, enjoyed the picturesque landscapes of the Li River, experienced the slow life of literature and art in Gulangyu, and appreciated the majesty and solemnity of the royal family in the Forbidden City. These experiences not only gave them a deeper understanding of the motherland, but also made their friendship deeper.

"I think the biggest gain of this trip is that I love our motherland more." Li Xiao said seriously, "In the past, I only learned about the beautiful mountains and long history of the motherland in books and TV. This time I felt it myself and truly experienced the greatness and charm of the motherland."

Zhang Yuedong also felt deeply: "Yes, every time I go to a place, I can feel the enthusiasm and simplicity of the local people. I am very moved by their own way to inherit and promote Chinese culture."

Lin Yifei smiled and said, "And this trip also made me understand that there are many beautiful things in life waiting for us to discover. As long as we have a heart that loves life, we can reap endless happiness in the journey."

As the train slowly entered the station, their journey officially came to an end. Although they were a little tired, their faces were filled with happy smiles. This trip to China was not only a simple trip, but also a journey of baptism and growth of the soul. They left the train station with full memories and expectations for the future and returned to their own lives.
Chapter completed!