Forbidden City - Beijing

Kimono / Kimono - Bershka || Top / Top - H&M || Jeans / Blugi - Zara || Sandals / Sandale - Bershka || Bag / Geanta - H&M || Sunglasses / Ochelari de soare - H&M

The time has finally come for us to see the capital of China and about two weeks ago we were heading towards it, excited and curious to see what it has to offer. We have already seen many cities in China but we left Beijing out in order to see it when our friend would come to visit us. 

To start with the beginning, we scheduled four days for it, but out of those 4 days two were spent on the road and we basically had only two full days to spend in Beijing. So the capital city is situated at about 1300 km away from Shanghai and we took the high speed train to get there. It took about 5 h 30 min to get there and a train ride is often more reliable and faster than a flight (flights usually get delayed) around here. Also, we decided to visit this city and its surroundings (The Great Wall!) during the week hoping that there will be fewer tourists around, because you know..all the photos with the Great Wall full of people kinda scared us haha. All I can tell you is that our decision was a very good one and moreover the air quality was incredibly good during those days and the weather was perfect too. Three lucky guys were we, right? :)

The first day spent in Beijing was the 24th of May which was also our 3rd wedding anniversary, therefore the day was even more special for us. We started the day by paying a visit to the Temple of Heaven, with its amazing gardens, pagodas and colourful architecture. Next on our list was the Tiananmen Square, which is the city square located in the centre of Beijing, being one of the largest city square in the world (within top 10). The Tiananmen is in fact the gate which is situated in the northern part of the square and which separates it from the Forbidden City. The square contains the National Museum of China, the Monument to the People's Heroes, the Great Hall of the People and the Mausoleum of Mao Zedong, and it is definitely a must-see once you get to Beijing.

Last but not least, we spent 2 to 3 hours (maybe even more) walking through the interior courtyards of the Forbidden City and that was such a delight! To be honest, before going there I had the impression that every place we'll visit in Beijing will be extremely crowded and therefore I didn't expect much, but once I got there and saw how gorgeous the Forbidden City is, I was in awe. In case you didn't know, the Forbidden City was the Chinese Imperial Palace from the Ming dynasty to the end of the Qing dynasty and it is located in the heart of Beijing. It was the home of emperors and their households as well as the ceremonial and political centre of Chinese government for almost 500 years and its name refers to the fact that no one could enter or leave the palace without the emperor's permission. The Forbidden City was declared a World Heritage Site in 1987 and it now houses the Palace Museum. I fell in love with this place once I got there and I can tell you that it has risen above all my expectations.   

Beijing is a huge city and its impossible to see everything in such a short time, but it is important to choose well and see the most important sights. We basically had just one day to see the city as our second day was all about going to see the Great Wall (more about that in a future post), but I'm satisfied with our choices and I would definitely recommend seeing all these three main sights. 

Regarding the outfit, I decided to wear something casual, yet chic, a bit boho, yet girly. :) A pair of cropped white jeans with ripped hems, a yellow light top and my floral kimono, which protected me from the rays of sun the whole day were the perfect choice for a hot summer day. You probably saw the pink version of this kimono in a previous post (HERE) but because I liked it so much I decided to get it in blue as well. Floral kimonos are definitely a must-have this summer and the ways of styling it are countless. Finally, I added some nude / pale pink accessories and a pair of yellow sunglasses to go with the top and so I obtained a very joyful summerish look :D. What do you think?

Have a lovely Sunday and enjoy the ton of photos below! :D

Kiss kiss, A.