Post-restoration interior of Juanqinzhai (2008) (photo by Si Bing/Palace Museum)
I visited the Forbidden City in Beijing this past November, and it felt endless. Courtyard after courtyard led to one stunning peaked structure after the next, with decorative rock formations and quiet corridors running along the sides of the walled complex. It was also mobbed with people — huge groups of tourists moving in packs while wearing color-coordinated hats — so that even the most obsc… (View original article)