China's Forbidden City
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.
- 2007-2007
- 1 season
- Documentary
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.
Season 1 Episode Guide
2 Episodes 2007
Episode 1
Das Vermächtnis des Despoten
52 mins
The history of the Forbidden City begins with a bloody coup at the beginning of the 15th century, when the ambitious field commander Prince Zhu Di took power. He declared Beijing the new capital of China and ordered the construction of the Forbidden City, a symbol of his divine and almighty power. However, Yongle's destiny was to be intimately tied to the empire's collapse.
Episode 2
Die Herrschaft der Konkubine
52 mins
She was the ruthless "dragon lady" that subjected the last regents of the Dragon Throne to becoming her marionettes. The emperor's widow Cixi was one of the most powerful women in Chinese history. She came to the Forbidden City as a young concubine in 1850. Quickly winning the favor of the Chinese emperor, she rose through the ranks and became the empire's most important woman.
