These Forbidden City Panoramic Pictures were taken using my Samsung Note on my whirlwind trip to the capital of China in Oct 2012.
I had only two full days in Beijing and among the places that I most wanted to visit was the Forbidden City and Great Wall of China.
Clearly, there were no two ways about it as after I checked in to the hotel and had a quick shut eye for about five hours, the first thing on my mind was how do I get to this amazing place.
A taxi cab was the best solution according to the Wahaha Hotel reception. Yes, that IS the name of the hotel I was put up at by OptionTown, a company that gets you seat upgrades on AirAsia X flights.
Back to the journey - A quick 10-minute taxi ride put me in front of the north entrance here. The fare was a cool RMB10 which I found to be very cheap and the ride there comfortable.
Walking in the main entrance, the first thing that welcomed me was a lovely lake with beautiful trees that looked like giant weeping willows.
Forbidden City Panoramic Pictures
Back to the journey - A quick 10-minute taxi ride put me in front of the north entrance here. The fare was a cool RMB10 which I found to be very cheap and the ride there comfortable.
Walking in the main entrance, the first thing that welcomed me was a lovely lake with beautiful trees that looked like giant weeping willows.
Forbidden City Panoramic Pictures
After passing the lake and a 10-minute easy walk, a giant red temple-like structure suddenly welcomed me.
Pulling out my Nikon DSLR to photograph it ended up in frustration as the entire place could not fit into my lens.... then I remembered that the Samsung Note has a panoramic function.
Well, the below are shots taken with my mobile phone in the best resolution. To view the panoramic pictures in full size, please click on each of the pictures.
Pulling out my Nikon DSLR to photograph it ended up in frustration as the entire place could not fit into my lens.... then I remembered that the Samsung Note has a panoramic function.
Well, the below are shots taken with my mobile phone in the best resolution. To view the panoramic pictures in full size, please click on each of the pictures.
Forbidden City Entrance panoramic shot
Forbidden City panoramic shot
Inside the Forbidden City, one of the gateways
Two days was clearly not enough to see Beijing but due to my work schedule, I had an opportunity to visit and did it over the weekend.
However, the next time around, I will try to spend at least 4 to 5 days here. AirAsia X flies into Beijing daily and booking ahead, I know I can get some really good prices on the flights for under RM1600 return.
You can also get the Premium Flatbed Seats or Empty Seat Option (ESO) from Optiontown. On a single visit, one can see the Forbidden City, Great Wall of China, Tiananmen Square and a few of the interesting places around Beijing town.
Conclusion
However, the next time around, I will try to spend at least 4 to 5 days here. AirAsia X flies into Beijing daily and booking ahead, I know I can get some really good prices on the flights for under RM1600 return.
You can also get the Premium Flatbed Seats or Empty Seat Option (ESO) from Optiontown. On a single visit, one can see the Forbidden City, Great Wall of China, Tiananmen Square and a few of the interesting places around Beijing town.
Conclusion
For photographers, a word of advice - bring your wide-angle lenses as some of the structures are really humongous. Another tip is to visit the attractions really early in the mornings as there are less people around.
I choose October simply because the weather was amazing. Blue skies and a temperature of around 20 degrees Celsius was just perfect. There you go and hope you enjoy my Forbidden City panoramic pictures in Beijing, China.
I choose October simply because the weather was amazing. Blue skies and a temperature of around 20 degrees Celsius was just perfect. There you go and hope you enjoy my Forbidden City panoramic pictures in Beijing, China.