China's Forbidden City

Name: China's Forbidden City
Genre: History
Released: 2007-12-29
Cast: Thom Kikot

Network:Smithsonian Channel

History

Previous Episode

S01E02 - "The Reign of the Concubine"

Aired on Dec 29, 2007, 5:00 PM

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Show Ended

Description

In the heart of Beijing lies the largest palace in the world, The Forbidden City. For five hundred years, it served as the home of the almighty Emperors of China along with their wives, concubines, and entourages of tens of thousands of eunuchs and civil servants. But the Forbidden City is more than an imperial residence; it is the center of the universe, a unique complex of structures revealing a hierarchy of power both imperial and divine. China's Forbidden CityĂ‚Â includes exclusive access to the complex, plus new findings on its fall and the last empress.Ă‚Â

Details

Status: Ended
Language: English
Runtime: 46 min
Premiered: December 29, 2007
Ended: December 29, 2007

External Links

Episodes (1 Season · 2 Episodes)

The Center of the World

Explore the origins of the Forbidden City, the savage and self-appointed emperor of the Ming Dynasty who ordered its construction, and the architect whose cosmic vision brought ritualistic significance to every detail. The greatest palace ever built was constructed with miraculous speed but harbored fatal flaws and became marked by a devastating fire that foreshadowed the city's ultimate fate-and that of the Ming Dynasty.

Dec 29, 2007

46 min

The Reign of the Concubine

A simple concubine, one of sixty women serving the Xianfeng Emperor, rose to become the de facto ruler of the Qing dynasty. This is the story of Cixi, who, using charisma, political shrewdness, and manipulation, governed the Forbidden City through the latter half of the nineteenth century, and who, by breaking with tradition, may have heralded the end of an empire.

Dec 29, 2007

46 min