Description

"Emperor Zhengde had spent thousands of silver coins on the Feast of the Lanterns, the final New Year’s celebration. He looked around him, dizzy with pride. Surely, no emperor before him had done so much to celebrate the New Year. He had built a seven-story pagoda and draped it with thousands of candles and tiny lanterns, making it look as if it were a fiery constellation floating in the heavens. Hundreds more lanterns danced on the trees…He was certain he would be  remembered as the more generous, the most loved, the richest emperor China had ever had. And now he gazed down from the Golden Throne, craving more…Was an evil spirit from the Gobi desert watching Zhengde? A sudden windstorm swept in from the north. A candle turned into a torch, flames landing on the ladies’ brilliant silk gowns…The guards ran, the musicians ran, the guests ran. The Palace of Cloudless Heaven burned, burned to the ground that night.”

For over five hundred years, starting in 1407, emperors ruled the vast empire of China from the Forbidden City. Few were allowed inside the massive walls, but it was said that “all the riches in the world” were there, including a towering golden throne. Come and be a guest in the Forbidden City. Meet the fascinating emperors who lived there, and find out some of their many secrets.

From the Forbidden City

"Between dusk and dawn, the red wall stands
From ancient to modern, the magic door links
There is a history which hasn't been devoured by time
There is a dream which has lingered for two hundred years."

From a Plaque in the Forbidden City

Reviews

"The Forbidden City is a vast and magnificent palace complex. Wandering through this huge site, visitors often wonder about the people, royal and otherwise, who lived there during the Ming and Qing dynasties. Marx begins the history with Yongle, the Ming emperor who moved the government from Nanjing to Beijing and ordered the construction of the colossal structure in 1407. She brings the Forbidden City to life by telling stories about six different royal inhabitants from Zhengde, "one of the worst emperors in Chinese history," to Puyi, who became a pawn of the invading Japanese. Royal women take their rightful place with a look at the funeral of Princess Su as well as a relatively tamedescription of the preparations made by the notorious Empress Dowager Cixi to start each day. Each short tale is followed by straightforward but lively factual text that provides information about the palace and the lives of its inhabitants. Even the eunuchs, including a no-nonsense explanation of their condition and the reason for it, are included. Beautiful drawings and photographs, some provided by the Palace Museum and some taken for this book, lend color and provide additional information. Of particular note are the photos of the interiors of buildings, a number of which are not regularly open to the public. A book with surefire appeal to anyone interested in China's history and culture."
- Barbara Scotto, Children's Literature New England, Brookline, MA