刘畅所著的《北京紫禁城（英文版）》主要分三部分，上篇为图说规划，中篇为图说营造，下篇为图说内廷。在规划部分中，从营国旧事始，明朝朱棣定都北京，再到清朝康熙、乾隆等对于紫禁城的变动，紫禁城始终与国家象征密不可分。

在中篇部分，作者谈及古建筑的数据分析方法，并用该方法对于太和殿、英华殿、体仁阁、弘义阁等建筑进行了分析，从而阐释了各建筑在营造上的不同手法以及局部特点。随着作者分析数据的思维路径，并逐渐揣摩出古代工匠的设计思想和方法，没有丝毫的枯燥之感，反而有种解谜般的阅读乐趣。

下篇为图说内廷，主要讲述的是紫禁城内的诸多使用者，以及他们对于室内装饰设计的不同审美情趣，还穿插了关于帝后生活起居的趣事，细节感十足，有着不逊于文学作品的故事性。

Part I Illustrating the Layout of the Forbidden City / 6

Chapter I Before the Forbidden City / 6

[1] The Takeover / 8

[2] Book of Experiences / 18

[3] Direct Models of the Forbidden City in Beijing / 26

[4] Zhu Di's Plan / 34

Chapter II The Ideal City / 38

[1] ATheory /40

[2] A Set of Grids / 51

[3] Calculation and Collation / 58

Chapter III The Vicissitudes of the Ideal City / 68

[1] The Young Emperor's Task / 70

[2] The Old Man's Foresight / 91

Part II Illustrating Construction / 100

Chapter IV My Quatrevingt-treize /104

[1] Structures According to Mr. Zhao / 106

[2] Construction According to Another Mr. Zhao / 109

Chapter V The Hall of Supreme Harmony, a Double-eave Principal Hall /114

[1] Two Groups of Troublesome Data / 116

[2] ACoincidental Square? / 125

[3] Why 7.459 zhang? / 129

[4] Liang Jiu's Mistake? / 133

Chapter VI The Hall of Exuberance Flower, a Single-eave Hall / 139

[1] 1/4zhang / 140

[2] 1/4chi 144

[3] 1/4cun /148

Chapter VII The Pavilion of Embodying Benevolence and the Pavilion of Spreading Righteousness, Two Han-style Pavilions / 152

[1] Zhang Xisheng / 156

[2] Zhang Xisheng's Design of Pavilion of Embodying Benevolence / 160

[3] Zhang Xisheng didn't Know Much about Pavilion of Spreading Righteousness / 166

Chapter VIII Pavilion of the Rain of Flowers, a Tibetan-style Pavilion / 174

[1] On the Tibetan Style / 176

[2] The Structure and Decoration of the Pavilion of the Rain of Flowers / 184

Chapter IX The Corner Tower / 194

[1] Design Starts from the Plan: Corner Cross / 196

[2] The Expression of the Pediment of the Corner Tower / 204

Part III Illustrating Interior Design / 214

Chapter X From the Old House of Nurgaci to the Palace of Earthly Tranquility / 222

[1] 1587 /224

[2] 1627 /228

[3] 1656 230

Chapter XI The Hall of Mental Cultivation / 232

[1] The Imperial Kitchen, the Bed Chamber, the Classroom and the Household Workshop / 234

[2] A Place for Industrious Reign / 240

[3] The Owner Has the Say / 246

[4] Regency and Emperorhood / 251

Chapter XII From Banmu Yuan to Juanqin Zhai / 256

[1] Banmu Yuan, the Half-Acre Garden / 258

[2] Studio of Esteemed Excellence / 263

[3] Juanqin Zhai, the Studio of Exhaustion of Diligent Service / 267

Chapter XIII Studio of Cleansing Fragrance / 272

[1] "The Present Cannot be Compared with the Past" / 274

[2] Those Enclosed Small Chambers /280

[3] Unveiling the Interior Theatre / 283

Chapter XIV Pavilion of Met Expectations / 286

[1] Ambiguity of the "Bright HalF" / 288

[2] Li Zhiying / 294

[3] Handicraft in South China / 298

Chapter XV Palace for Nurturing Joy / 306

[l] Its Present Conditions / 308

[2] The Labyrinth Was Not Built in A Day / 312

[3] Not A Labyrinth at First / 320

Chapter XVI Palace of Peaceful Longevity / 324

[1] The Forty Happy Years of the Qianlong's Mother / 328

[2] The Renovation Long Awaited by Emperor Jiaqing / 332

[3] The Owner Reluctant to Move into the Palace / 336

Chapter XVII From Palace of Eternal Spring to the Palace of Accumulated Purity / 342

[1] The Heritage of Emperor Xianfeng / 344

[2] The Balance Between the Eastern Palace and the Western Palace / 351

[3] The Lost Theatre / 354

List of Illustrations / 362