Wandering the Government District

[jeep]

I went through the Shenyang Imperial Palace and it was pretty awesome. The one thing that I liked so much that I'm building it into the world I'm creating as a backdrop to the stories I will write sometime in the next 100 years is the courtyard that was used for military drills.

It was huge. 600 yards by 100 yards, I'd guess. Along the sides, at regular intervals were 10 relatively small buildings. 8 were used as command centers for the 8 divisions of the military. At the head was the Emperor's command center/War room. You walked up a few steps to a platform- the viewing area for royalty during presentations. The war room was big with two stories. The second was closed off, but it had a balcony. The first floor was just a big room. I imagine a table in the middle with maps etc... probably not even close, but who cares.

At the foot and to one side (the emperor's right) was a raised platform for the band. In the empty courtyard, your voice rang out and was LOUD. The stairs up were narrow. I had to duck my head and turn my shoulders to get up to the platform.

The link above has a pretty good picture of the parade area... I have to go, but if you want more details, let me know.

-JEEP