Photographs show different viewpoints, dates and conditions. They do not establish current access to a particular route. Every image is credited below.
Beijing's monumental sites are easier to understand when their internal sequence is given time. Gates, courtyards, halls and gardens create changing scales. The contemporary city around them supplies contrast, but transport and entry procedures can consume more of a day than a map suggests.
Confirm current booking requirements and group sights realistically. A Forbidden City visit and a distant excursion should not compete for the same limited window.