Just outside the gates of Tian’ an Men Square lies The Forbidden City, a grand tribute to the 24 emperors of the Ming and Qing Dynasties who ruled over China for about 500 years. Members of the Bouncing Bulldogs Team, based in Chapel Hill and Durham, North Carolina, were there on Sunday, Aug. 3, 2008.

The symbolic center of The Chinese Universe, The Forbidden City has 9,999 rooms, each with its own purpose. This Imperial Palace housed the Imperial Court of China from its completion in 1420 until the last emperor was forced to leave in the beginning of the 20th century. Although the modern world intruded in 1949 and The Forbidden City became open to the public, as a tourist attraction, it will forever embody the enchanting history of the Chinese emperors.

The Forbidden City and Tian’ an Men Square are two sights that provide an interesting comparison of past and present-day China.

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