Built in the 15th century, the Forbidden City has 9,999 rooms. Why such a number, and not one single room more? Because, according to tradition, only gods had the right to build a palace with 10,000 rooms, a number that symbolically represents infinity. Mortals have tried, in their way, to approach this ideal by believing that the number “9” symbolized longevity. Six centuries later, the Forbidden City is open to the public. With all those rooms, do plan on spending a bit of time. And on wearing good walking shoes.The Forbidden City, Beijing
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