Photos: Buhari visits China's forbidden city

President Buhari who is currently on a state visit
to China, visited the Former Chinese Imperial
Palace otherwise known as China's Forbidden
city today April 12th. Read a brief history of the
forbidden city as written by Special Adviser to
Buhari on Media and Publicity, Femi Adesina,
after the cut.
The city was built from 1406 to 1420 in the
reign of the Ming Dynasty Yongle Emperor. It
served as the seat of power for 24 emperors,
over the course of 491 years. And why is it
called the Forbidden City? Because it was not
just for anybody. Not for the hoi polloi, nor the
flotsam and jetsam of society. Not for the
proleteriat, but only the privileged and dignified.
The poor enter at their own peril. It was off
limits to them.
But then, the Hausa say "Seriki goma, zamani
goma" (Ten kings for ten epochs) and then
times and seasons would change. The Forbidden
City, located over vast hectares of land, with
over 8,000 buildings and 1,800,000 sets of
artifacts, fell to the 1911 Revolution led by Dr
Sun Zhongshan. Yes, the good does not last
forever, neither does the evil last forever. The
Qing Dynasty (which was ruling then) came to
an end, and the city was turned to a museum.
Millions of tourists throng the place today from
differnt parts of the world. A place that was
once forbidden to commoners is now host to
anybody and everbody. That is why it is good to
belong to everybody, rather than to a privileged
few.
A tour guide took us round the Forbidden City,
with its galleries of ceramics, clocks and
watches, and other treasures, most in pure gold.
Members of the dynasty really lived it up,
drawing the wine of life to the full, and "the
mere lees is left the vault to brag of." (William
Shakespeare).
The palace museum is believed to be the largest
surviving wooden palace structure in the world.
Most of the treasures, in gold, silver, jade, pearls
and other precious materials, represent the
highest artistic level of their time, and the
splendour of the imperial family. Those of them
who had died before the Forbidden City became
a public place, would turn in their graves, if they
know what has become of their much vaunted
royal abode. The good does not last forever,
neither does the evil last forever. Seriki goma,
zamani goma. The pauper can become a prince,
while the prince can become a pauper. Time and
chance pertains to them all.