Who needs HBO or your local RPG group to find fantasy elements in Beijing. Warriors, princesses, doomed poets, dragons, and dungeons are as close as a metro ride to Dongcheng?

This walk is the simplest and most straightforward way to see the Forbidden City, proceeding from the Meridian Gate in the front, down the main central axis, and exiting at the northern end of the palace across the street from Jingshan Park. Most people (too many people?) take this route, but it’s only a starting point for exploring this massive palace.