The Middle Route 3
The Meridian Gate 3
The Inner Golden Water Bridge 5
The Gate of Supreme Harmony 7
The Hall of Supreme Harmony 9
The Gilded Bronze Vats 15
The Hall of Middle Harmony 16
The Hall of Preserving Harmony 17
The Painting Gallery 18
The Great Stone Carving 19
The Gate of Heavenly Purity 20
The Bronze Gallery 21
The Pottery Gallery 23
The Palace of Heavenly Purity 26
The Hall of Union and Peace 28
The Palace of Earthly Tranquility 31
The Imperial Garden 32
The Gate of Military Prowess 43
The West Route 48
The Hall of Gathering Excellence 48
The Hall of Harmonious Universe 51
The Hall of Assisting Earth 52
The Hall of Everlasting Spring 54
The Hall of All-Encompassing Universe 56
The Hall of Supreme Ultimate 57
The Tishun Hall 58
The Hall of Mental Cultivation 59
The Office of the Privy Council 63
The East Route 67
The Hall of Cherishing Essence 67
The Hall of Great Yang 72
The Clock Gallery 73
The Nin-Dragon Screen 80
The Far East Route 80
The Hall of Imperial Zenith 81
The Palace of Tranquil Longevity 89
The Hall of Nature Cultivation 92
The Qianlong Garden 94
Tower of Pleasant Sound Yueshilou Chamber 96
The Hall of Joyful Longevity 98
The Hall of Sustained Harmony 100
The Concubine Pearl Well 101
Mysteries of the Forbidden City 104
Why did Emperor Yongle change the capital to Beijing? 104
Why were the doornails of the Forbid-den City related to the number nine? 105
How many concubines were there in the Forbidden City? 105
How much do you know about eunuchs? 106
Why were there no toilets in the Forbid-den City? 107
Why were there no trees in the three front halls? 108
How did the imperial palace keep cool? 109
How did the large imperial palace keep warm? 109
How about the lighting of the imperial palace? 110
How did the Forbidden City drain water? 111
Why was most architecture in yellow or red? 112
Why did Emperor Yongzheng move to the Hall of Mental Cultivation? 113
What happened to the concubines of the Ming Dynasty? 113
How did emperors have meals? 114
Do you know about sedans of the emperor? 115
Are there really 9999.5 rooms in the Forbid-den City? 117
How were diseases treated in the imperial pal-ace of Qing Dynasty? 117
Do you know about the life of court maids? 118
How was the Palace Museum founded? 119
How many cultural relics have been collected in the Palace Museum? 120
Do you know about the last emperor Puyi? 120
Appendix 123
Tour Instructions 123
Annals of the emperors of the Ming Dynasty 125
Annals of the emperors of the Qing Dy-nasty 126