History Of China The Secrets Of The Forbidden City

Have you heard of the Forbidden City? Millions of tourists visit it every year in Beijing, China. It is known as the biggest palace on Earth. However, it also holds some of the darkest secrets that are kept in secret for nearly 600 years - not until today. In this book, you are going to learn the beginning of the Ming Dynasty and how it was the foundation for over 20 emperors across the centuries - up until 1911. It is an interesting story of how an emperor of China builds the Forbidden City and some astonishing secrets of its creation - based on the main chronicles at Cambridge University. You'll dive into an unknown world, filled with treachery, blood baths, and luxury. You'll see how the emperor of China lived his life at that time, and what obstacles he went through in building The Forbidden City. Grab your copy now!

Two Years in the Forbidden City is an autobiography by Princess Der Ling. Her royal highness depicts her time while serving as the first lady-in-waiting for Empress Dowager Cixi, conveying the atmosphere of the Chinese court in those times.

*Includes pictures *Includes online resources and a bibliography for further reading Located in the center of Beijing, the Forbidden City served as the palace for the emperor of China from 1420 to 1912 CE, a period encompassing the Ming and Qing dynasties. It was home to the celestial leaders of China, men that possessed the Mandate of Heaven. A total of 24 emperors lived and ruled from the vast and magnificent complex for almost 500 years, until the last Chinese dynasty was overthrown in 1912 with the abdication of Emperor Xuantong, more commonly known as Puyi. Known also as the Forbidden Palace, or amongst contemporary Chinese as the "Former Palace," the complex was first given its name in 1576. The Forbidden City was the home of many thousands of governmental staff, female servants and concubines, eunuchs, soldiers, and kitchen staff, and where their entire lives were built. Nonetheless, entrance to it from the outside was forbidden to all but the emperor, his court, and his relations. Without the permission of the emperor, access to or from the heart of the empire was impossible, but what was once inaccessible is now one of the most visited institutions in the world. Today, the Forbidden City is a UNESCO World Heritage site, operated as the largest museum in the world and located in the heart of the capital of the world's most populous country. The Forbidden City: The History of the Chinese Imperial Palace of the Ming and Qing Dynasties in Beijing examines the history of the palace. Along with pictures of important people, places, and events, you will learn about the Forbidden City like never before.

The principal residence of China's emperors for nearly five centuries, Beijing's Forbidden City was long shrouded in mystery, inaccessible both to common Chinese and to visitors from abroad. Exploring the palace's grand rituals and detailing the quotidian processes of its everyday life, this beautifully illustrated introduction goes beyond standard tourists' guidebooks to provide a detailed picture of the private world hidden behind imperial walls.

This lively book introduces the reader to the colourful characters who inhabited the Forbidden City, and vividly evokes the strictly prescribed rituals that made up life between its walls. From the strong intellectual and political character of the Ming dynasty through the robust warrior spirit of the Qing, Frances Wood's thematic tour recalls the most intriguing and exciting moments - whether official or domestic - of that extraordinary era.

NATIONAL BESTSELLER • A teenage girl living in 1960s China becomes Mao Zedong’s protégée and lover—and a heroine of the Cultural Revolution—in this “masterful” (The Washington Post) novel. “A new classic about China’s Cultural Revolution . . . Think Succession, but add death and mayhem to the palace intrigue. . . . Ambitious and impressive.”—San Francisco Chronicle ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR: The Washington Post, PopSugar • Longlisted for the Joyce Carol Oates Prize On the eve of China’s Cultural Revolution and her sixteenth birthday, Mei dreams of becoming a model revolutionary. When the Communist Party recruits girls for a mysterious duty in the capital, she seizes the opportunity to escape her impoverished village. It is only when Mei arrives at the Chairman’s opulent residence—a forbidden city unto itself—that she learns that the girls’ job is to dance with the Party elites. Ambitious and whip-smart, Mei beelines toward the Chairman. Mei gradually separates herself from the other recruits to become the Chairman’s confidante—and paramour. While he fends off political rivals, Mei faces down schemers from the dance troupe who will stop at nothing to take her place and the Chairman’s imperious wife, who has secret plans of her own. When the Chairman finally gives Mei a political mission, she seizes it with fervor, but the brutality of this latest stage of the revolution makes her begin to doubt all the certainties she has held so dear. Forbidden City is an epic yet intimate portrayal of one of the world’s most powerful and least understood leaders during this extraordinarily turbulent period in modern Chinese history. Mei’s harrowing journey toward truth and disillusionment raises questions about power, manipulation, and belief, as seen through the eyes of a passionate teenage girl.

Did you know that there's a Forbidden City in ancient China? The city was a palace used by the Chinese emperors during the Ming and Qing Dynasties. You can still see the city today, if you go to Beijing. If you can't go there yet, then these pictures and facts will take you there. Grab a copy today!

The Ming and the Qing Empires ruled China for centuries, and the Forbidden City was the seat of both empires. Learn about the history of the Forbidden City from the days of Emperor Yongle to the fall of the Qing dynasty to its status today as a landmark of world history. Explore major sites in the Forbidden City, including the Gate of Heavenly Peace and the Palace of Heavenly Purity. Get to know the cultural and artistic traditions of the Forbidden City's people and see how their legacy is being preserved. Book jacket.