Beijing is an ancient cultural city with a history of more than three thousand years, and one of China's six ancient capitals. City gates and archways, princely mansions and courtyard homes, hutongs and lanes, pagodas and temples... The years have left this city with an enduring, quiet charm. Every inch of land and every corner seems to tell a tale. This is a city with stories to tell, a book one could never tire of reading, and a rich trove of culture waiting to be explored, discovered, and interpreted. Only by understanding its profound cultural roots and history can we truly grasp the essence of the city. Why did the Yongle Emperor Zhu Di of the Ming dynasty move the capital to Beijing? Does the Forbidden City really have 9,999 and a half rooms? Why is Zhongnanhai called "the sea"? What purpose do the stone pillars beside the gates of old Beijing's courtyard homes serve? Where was the ghost market of old Beijing? You'll find the answers to these and many other fascinating questions in this book.
It reminds me of Lao She's "Camel Xiangzi", which also tells the story of old Beijing, but in a different style. The book also mentioned the reason why Zhu Di moved the capital to Beijing, which reminded me of a sentence in "Those Things in the Ming Dynasty": "What can be changed is called a shortcoming; what cannot be changed is called a weakness." Emperor Yongle Zhu Di moved the capital to Beijing, perhaps just to change the situation of the Ming Dynasty and find new development opportunities. This book is really a good book to understand Beijing culture!