Barack Obama is on Beijing tour
Barack Obama took a break from bilateral discussions this afternoon to play tourist at the Forbidden City, one of China’s and Beijing’s best-loved historical sites.
The authorities closed off the former imperial palace in Beijing so the US president could spend almost an hour undisturbed in its maze of vermilion buildings and courtyards, explored by millions of visitors each year.
Dating back to the 15th century, the complex was home to 24 Chinese emperors who ruled for almost 500 years, between 1420 and 1911.
“It’s a testament to the greatness of Chinese history,” said Obama, who had put on a jumper and a brown sheepskin jacket to ward off the Beijing chill. Snow dotted roofs and there were patches of ice in the courtyards.
Obama said it was “a magnificent place to visit” and he wanted to return with his wife and daughters, adding that he would like to visit other parts of the country. This is his first trip to China.
Standing in the Hall of Supreme Harmony – where Ming and Qing dynasty emperors held their enthronements and weddings – he asked the museum curator, Zheng Xinmiao, to explain to him the characters on the board hanging in the middle of the hall, Chinese media reported.
Zheng explained that it read “Jian Ji Sui You”, meaning “Emperors should make good rules”. The principle seems equally applicable to presidents, although Obama may sometimes yearn for the kind of domestic power the Forbidden City’s former occupants enjoyed.
The site, now known as the Palace Museum, is in the heart of the capital and covers approximately 150,000 square metres.
Obama is due to visit a stretch of the Great Wall near Beijing tomorrow, before flying out to South Korea for the last stretch of his four-nation tour of Asia.
