The Forbidden City in the centre of Beijing was the hub of imperialChina from the fifteenth to the twentieth century. A city within a city, its inhospitable red walls enclosed the seat of government,the imperial palace, huge lakes dotted with islands and pleasureboats, workshops producing luxury items for the court, and a zoo with horses, cats, elephants and the occasional giraffe.

The Forbidden City in the centre of Beijing was the hub of imperialChina from the fifteenth to the twentieth century. A city within a city, its inhospitable red walls enclosed the seat of government,the imperial palace, huge lakes dotted with islands and pleasureboats, workshops producing luxury items for the court, and a zoo with horses, cats, elephants and the occasional giraffe.

For hundreds of years, thousands of eunuchs served their imperialmasters within the Forbidden City, taking control of the flow of administrative documents and the daily needs of the emperor and the women of the palace. This [ively book introduces the reader to the colourful characters who inhabited the Forbidden City, and vividly evokes the strictly prescribed rituals that made up life behind its wails. From the strong intel!.ectual and political character of the Ming dynasty to the robust warrior spirit of the Cling, Frances Wood’s thematic tour recalls the most intriguing and exciting moments whether official or domestic - of that extraordinary era.

It was not until the very end of the nineteenth century that westerners managed to penetrate the Forbidden City to explore the beguiling heart of imperial China. This book allows you to do just that, under the guidance of one of its most enthusiastic admirers.

Frances Wood is the Head of the Chinese Section of the British Library and the author of numerous guides, memoirs and other books on China, including Blue Guide: China, Did Marco Polo Go to China?,A Companion to China, No Dogs and Not Many Chinese, and Hand-Grenade Practice in Peking.

Introduction: Origins

1 Building a palace

2 Officials and eunuchs

3 Banquets and bedchambers

4 Garden parties

5 Temples and shrines

6 Entertaining the emperors

7 Collecting and consuming

8 From palace to museum

Notes

Notes on Romanization and pronunciation

  Chronological table

  Further reading

  Index

  Picture credits