The Forbidden City

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This chronicle of the palace, a rich blend of history, anecdotal narrative, biographical portraits and illustrations, carries readers through 500 years of imperial China. Much of the material for this volume, produced in collaboration with a documentary film, was collected after unprecedented access to the historical archives in Beijing, making this a truly unique book. Short but informative essays deal among other things with the history and layout of the palace; the role of the emperor and the ceremony and symbolism associated with his office; the Jesuit fathers who infiltrated the system, valued for their scientific skills but not for their faith; and the private lives of the emperors, their consorts and concubines, and the hundreds of eunuchs and serving maids who kept the system running.