Forbidden City’s major buildings are positioned along a central, south-north axis. So, in the interest of exploring the major landmarks, or if you are short of time, your inclination is to race along a straight line and overlook the myriad of architectural treasures on the fringes. Belvedere of Embodying Benevolence is a great example of what you will miss. When originally constructed during the 15th century (since rebuilt twice), Belvedere was named Civil Pavilion (Wen lou). Emperor Kangxi, the fourth in the Qing dynasty reign (1661 – 1722), conducted poetry contests here. Tiren Ge was later used as an Imperial Household Department storehouse.
