Gate of Supreme Harmony 太和门

It is difficult to overstate how large the Forbidden City is. I have already passed through two massive gates and what greeted me after the second one was yet another gate. This one is the Gate of Supreme Harmony 太和门. To get to the gate, visitors will have to cross a vast plaza which is bounded by the Meridian Gate in the south and the Gate of Supreme Harmony in the north. As huge as this place already is, I have still not entered the more important places.

The plaza is marked by the presence of a waterway which is spanned by Golden River Bridge 金水桥. The central part of the bridge is for the exclusive use of the emperor, while both sides are for his aides. The road continues on to the Gate of Supreme Harmony which is flanked by two bronze lions. Despite the huge plaza, there were still so many people milling about. It is quite amazing to see how many people this place can actually fit. From what I see, it probably can handle several hundred tour groups at one time.

[xmlgm {http://www.worldwanderings.net/kml/ForbiddenCity.kmz} zoom=19]