The Forbidden City

The Forbidden City in Beijing has fascinated the western world for decades, quite as much for the magnificence of its structure as for its forbidden status for five centuries. Completed in 1420 during the Ming Dynasty, it was designed to convey the incredible wealth and status of the Emperor, the god-appointed link between the deity and his subjects. With vast courtyards, magnificent halls of audience and over nine thousand rooms, it is a palace and a city on a truly cosmic scale. Some 120 million people, more than the Forbidden City and the life of rigid protocol and ritual remained unchanged, frozen in time, until the Republican revolution and the abdication of the last Emporer in 1912. Renamed the Palace Museum, it was opened to the general public in 1924. This, the latest in the Scala guides, is published in association with Acoustiguide Shanghai Company. The book combines a fascinating historical overview with a detailed and beautifully illustrated guide. The concise text explains the function of this sacred centre of the Chinese Empire and the newly designed maps and ground plans plus abundant colour photographs ensure a comprehensive tour of this extraordinary, complex site.