What do you think?
Rate this book
The Forbidden City
Cai Rong, et al., Order No. 3015, 7800055604, Paperback, New World Press, Pub 2000, 84, English and Chinese-----A tourist guide to the magnificent Imperial Palace in Beijing.
80 pages, Paperback
First published October 14, 2014
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
October 9, 2018
I love picture books for grown ups. Especially ones that have long fold out pages that span several feet. A great pictoral view of the Forbidden City -- a place Nick and I visited a few years ago -- that retains all the mystery and wonder as described in the book. Such historical places that last for centuries -- such a treasure to tread upon their walkways. This book does an excellent and super concise job of describing the reigning emperors and their dynasties.
June 13, 2024
Interesting but now I think I want to watch documentary on so can really feel like I am there
October 22, 2014
My Review: The Forbidden City was the Chinese imperial palace from the Ming dynasty to the end of the Qing dynasty. In The Forbidden City, learn about the 16 Emperors during the Ming Dynasty. For almost 600 years, the Forbidden City was home to the Chinese emperor. It also contained a stupendous amount of masterpieces and rare treasures, which were handled down from generation to generation.
It is interesting to know that an emperor was considered the Son of Heaven and the Forbidden City, as the focal point of the emperor’s rule, was where heaven met earth.
Travel through time as the book unfolds the history of the Forbidden City. How some of the emperors became wealthy and powerful, how the empire suffered a slow decline crippled by invasions from foreign countries. Take a tour through the Meridian Gate; The Year Ten Thousand Envoys came to pay tribute (The Gate of Supreme Harmony), Hall of Mental Cultivation, the North Gate of the Forbidden City and many more.
Also, learn about the important woman of China, Empress Dowager Cixi. She was a powerful and charismatic woman who unofficially but effectively controlled the Manchu Qing dynasty in China for 47 years, from 1861 when Emperor Xianfeng passed away and her son became Emperor Tongzhi she was promoted to Empress Dowager. With her son too young to rule, she successfully orchestrates a coup over powerful ministres and was appointed co-regent and now could attend to the affairs of the state with her son. She died in 1908.
The book also gives detailed pencil outline drawings of the Forbidden City, including the buildings, gardens, courtyards and more with symmetrical layouts. I really enjoyed reading the book and I hope you will too.
FTC Disclosure: I received a review copy of this book from Rebekah Epstein in exchange for a fair and honest review. I was not monetarily compensated for my opinion in any way.
It is interesting to know that an emperor was considered the Son of Heaven and the Forbidden City, as the focal point of the emperor’s rule, was where heaven met earth.
Travel through time as the book unfolds the history of the Forbidden City. How some of the emperors became wealthy and powerful, how the empire suffered a slow decline crippled by invasions from foreign countries. Take a tour through the Meridian Gate; The Year Ten Thousand Envoys came to pay tribute (The Gate of Supreme Harmony), Hall of Mental Cultivation, the North Gate of the Forbidden City and many more.
Also, learn about the important woman of China, Empress Dowager Cixi. She was a powerful and charismatic woman who unofficially but effectively controlled the Manchu Qing dynasty in China for 47 years, from 1861 when Emperor Xianfeng passed away and her son became Emperor Tongzhi she was promoted to Empress Dowager. With her son too young to rule, she successfully orchestrates a coup over powerful ministres and was appointed co-regent and now could attend to the affairs of the state with her son. She died in 1908.
The book also gives detailed pencil outline drawings of the Forbidden City, including the buildings, gardens, courtyards and more with symmetrical layouts. I really enjoyed reading the book and I hope you will too.
FTC Disclosure: I received a review copy of this book from Rebekah Epstein in exchange for a fair and honest review. I was not monetarily compensated for my opinion in any way.
October 10, 2014
Hands down, IN THE FORBIDDEN CITY by Chiu Kwong-chiu (translated by Ben Wang) is a force to be reckonned with. No where have I come across such a thorough and highly detailed account of the Forbidden City. Serving as the seat of imperial power for over six centuries, the Forbidden City is one of China's most famous--and engimatic--landmarks.
The book is large--and I mean that in size and sheer volume of information revealed. You will walk into the detailed line drawings of the buildings, gardens, courtyards, and more through impressive fold-out pages with historical and architectual highlights peppered throughout. Whats more--you'll find a magnafying glass in the back of the book to scrutinize the tiny--and miraculous--details in well, more detail.
Part history, part culture, part architectual studies, one will walk away from this book with a better understanding of Chinese traditional culture and design. A must for every well-stocked classroom or library and for many Chinese-American children, big and small.
The book is large--and I mean that in size and sheer volume of information revealed. You will walk into the detailed line drawings of the buildings, gardens, courtyards, and more through impressive fold-out pages with historical and architectual highlights peppered throughout. Whats more--you'll find a magnafying glass in the back of the book to scrutinize the tiny--and miraculous--details in well, more detail.
Part history, part culture, part architectual studies, one will walk away from this book with a better understanding of Chinese traditional culture and design. A must for every well-stocked classroom or library and for many Chinese-American children, big and small.
December 8, 2014
The amount of detail in this book is absolutely mind-boggling. I can only imagine how long it must have taken to create the pictures. The inclusion of a small magnifying glass was much appreciated as it helped me look at some of the tiny details. This is the sort of book that you could spend hours looking at and still not have found all the information. The text is rather heavy so the book works better for older students, plus the extended pages are awkward for little hands. The information I found fascinating since my knowledge of the Forbidden City and the Ming and Qing dynasties is rather limited. While the book focuses on the city itself, the reader also catches a glimpse into the lives of the Emperors who lived there and how their lives impacted the whole country. The book definitely made me want to go visit the city (now a museum) to see all the amazing sights for myself. A great resource for teachers and parents and a fantastic glimpse at an unusual place full of history and art.
September 4, 2016
Take a step back in time and get up close and walk through the Forbidden City. Find out:
-Who were the emperors between 1403 and 1911, and a little quirk about each one
-What was special about the year 1761
-What was the cost of rebuilding the Gate of Supreme Harmony after a fire
-Why there is a miniature mountain within the grounds
-Read little tales about daily life, mystery, and intrigue
-Spot the kitty that appears throughout the book
-So very much more!
The pages In The Forbidden City fold out 2 or 3 times to present panoramic sketches of the City full of tiny little details! But don’t worry, there is also a handy magnifying glass (made of plastic for safety) at the back of the book, which lives in a pocket.
My 8-year-old likes reading through all of the facts while my 6-year-old loves searching for the sketches of a cat that makes an appearance here and there.
This is a great book for those interested in learning more about The Forbidden City or Chinese history.
Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.
-Who were the emperors between 1403 and 1911, and a little quirk about each one
-What was special about the year 1761
-What was the cost of rebuilding the Gate of Supreme Harmony after a fire
-Why there is a miniature mountain within the grounds
-Read little tales about daily life, mystery, and intrigue
-Spot the kitty that appears throughout the book
-So very much more!
The pages In The Forbidden City fold out 2 or 3 times to present panoramic sketches of the City full of tiny little details! But don’t worry, there is also a handy magnifying glass (made of plastic for safety) at the back of the book, which lives in a pocket.
My 8-year-old likes reading through all of the facts while my 6-year-old loves searching for the sketches of a cat that makes an appearance here and there.
This is a great book for those interested in learning more about The Forbidden City or Chinese history.
Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.
July 14, 2015
In The Forbidden City is packed full of painstakingly detailed illustrations--you'll definitely use the magnifying glass that comes with the book! While the book focuses primarily on the city itself, fun anecdotes and asides give readers a glimpse into the lives of the inhabitants as well, and in particular a timeline of dynasties and Emperors gives a great look into some of the quirkier characteristics of China's histories. The foldouts are especially fascinating, but seeing the emptyness of their reverse sides was admittedly disappointing. The book is solidly aimed at older readers, and would be an excellent resource for fourth and fifth-graders working on school projects.
September 13, 2015
I knew nothing of the Forbidden City which is why I picked this up to begin with. It certainly did it's job and I found I'm interested in learning more about the Ming and Qing Dynasties. The magnifying glass included was appreciated to look at the many, many details within the pictures. Wonderful illustrations, well-done.
April 25, 2015
This reminded me a bit of a Peter Sis book, with the line drawings/map style pages. Lots of fold-out pages give a sense of the immensity of the Forbidden City.
To sum up, a broad overview of the highlights of the city since it was built in 1403. Just a skim, but interesting. I'd pair it with a virtual tour using Google Earth.
To sum up, a broad overview of the highlights of the city since it was built in 1403. Just a skim, but interesting. I'd pair it with a virtual tour using Google Earth.
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews