The Forbidden City

by Geremie R. Barmé

The Forbidden City Built by the Ming emperor in the fifteenth century as the earthly reflection of the realm of the Jade Emperor - whose court was said to rule over the whole universe - the Forbidden City consists of a series of courtyards that surround the majestic Hall of Supreme Harmony. Full description

Genres: China, History, Nonfiction

251 pages, Paperback

First published January 31, 2008

About the author

Geremie R. Barmé is an historian, cultural critic, filmmaker, translator and web-journal editor who works on Chinese cultural and intellectual history from the early modern period (1600s) to the present. He is Founding Director of the Australian Centre on China in the World in the ANU College of Asia & the Pacific, The Australian National University (ANU), Canberra, where he also edits the online e-journal China Heritage Quarterly.

Reviews

[Fiona]

Interesting, comprehensive but dry history of The Forbidden City read in preparation for a visit there in a few weeks. The chapters read as if they were written as separate essays so the information becomes repetitive. It’s given me the background I was looking for however, and I particularly enjoyed learning about daily life in imperial times. There are plenty of black and white photographs but they are sometimes of poor quality and I would have liked more maps of the site (but that’s what Google is for!).

[Issendai]

This is the first book I've found that gives detailed information on how the Qing-dynasty emperors actually lived--not just what a typical day was like and what they ate, but small details like how they got dressed in the morning (Chinese emperors dressed themselves, unlike European elites) and what their favorite meats were (not pork! A surprise to anyone who's knowledgeable about Chinese cooking). A must for social-history junkies.

[Tricia]

Informative read but it was very dry and it was tough to get through.

I think this is for someone who is either visiting there or is doing research into the topic

[Emily]

Full of information that would have been much more interesting if it had been fleshed out more and linked across chapters. I would give it four stars for information and two stars for "enjoyment.". Nonetheless, while there, I think I will be very glad I read it.

[Christine]

This book is packed with information about the Forbidden City. It is not told in a linear fashion, but that’s why I found it charming.

[Paul Kearney]

The extravagance of food. The servitude of empresses, the hierarchy of eunuchs, the tiered concubines. The inner court, the outer court. The clothes, the gates, the silk screens, the beaded curtains, the imprisoned opulence.
In the centre of Beijing, in the Secretly public Forbidden City. Nothing is left to political accident.

[Liam]

"Lu Xun also spoke of the unsettling ability of Chinese culture to transform and homogenise anything that came within its thrall. He called it a soysauce vat (jianggang) that darkened anything, or anybody, that entered it." (187)

[Roberta Wall]

A great read before traveling to China

[Julian]

interesting topic but weirdly structured and a bumpy read

[Cristian]

I learnt a lot of things with this book, it was highly educational and easy to read.