The Imperial Garden in the Forbidden City: a garden depicted far more beautifully than the experience of actually being able to enter it

Among the ancient paintings depicting twenty beautiful scenes of the imperial capital (Thần Kinh), there is one titled "Ngự Viên Đắc Nguyệt" — which roughly means "gazing at the moon in the Royal Garden".

The name of the painting says it all: moon-viewing here was considered a privilege — meaning not just anyone who wished for it could have it. The Royal Garden lies within the Forbidden City, an area reserved for the king and the royal family. "Forbidden" literally means prohibited.

Today it's the complete opposite: buying a ticket gets you in. But most of the Forbidden City was destroyed in the war, so what you mostly see are foundations and very large, empty courtyards.

How to view it without feeling let down: don't go into the Forbidden City expecting to see palaces. Go with the mindset of viewing a full-scale map — the flooring is still intact, the steps are still intact, and from that you imagine the parts that are gone. There are explanatory panels with archival photos at many spots.

A small consolation: those empty courtyard areas are far less crowded than the main palace, and in the late afternoon it's very peaceful. If you want to sit for a while without anyone intruding on your space, this is the place.