Vistopia
Cover of National Treasures: 600 Years of the Forbidden City
National Treasures: 600 Years of the Forbidden City
A visible history of Chinese culture
Completed · 25 episodes
Buy for ¥68.00
Audio in Chinese
Zhang Yuhu: Enter Traditional Culture in a Concrete, Relaxed Way Leung Man-tao: Let Us Rediscover the Forbidden City The Forbidden City: A Visible History of Chinese Culture 1. Hall of Supreme Harmony | How Can Architecture Display the Son of Heaven's Sacred Authority? 2. Hall of Mental Cultivation | How Did an Unassuming Building Become the Center of Rule? 3. Qianlong Garden | What Kind of Living Space Did the Qianlong Emperor Desire Most? 4. Golden Dragon Court Robe | How Can Clothing Express Hierarchy? 5. Golden Chime Bells | What Kind of Music Best Unites People's Hearts? 6. Jade Mountain of Yu the Great Taming the Flood | How Did an Emperor Build His Own Monument? 7. Preface to the Orchid Pavilion | What Is the Essential Spirit of Calligraphy? 8. Nymph of the Luo River | Why Does Chinese Painting Not Pursue Photographic Realism? 9. The Imperial Sedan Chair | Are Historical Paintings from Ancient China Truthful? 10. Old Trees, Level Distance | Why Is Landscape Painting Not Simply Painting Scenery? 11. A Thousand Li of Rivers and Mountains | Whose Realm, Whose Painting? 12. Bathing Birds beneath Willows | Who Understands the Heart of a Subject of a Fallen Dynasty? 13. Album of Auspicious Trees | How Can Painting Legitimize Rule? 14. Portraits of Yinzhen at Leisure | Why Did the Yongzheng Emperor Enjoy Cosplay? 15. Ru-Ware Dish with Sky-Blue Glaze | Why Is Simplicity a Higher Aesthetic? Bonus: Books I Recommend for World Book Day 16. Xuande Censer | How Did an Unassuming Incense Burner Become a National Treasure? 17. Rosewood Chair with Kui-Dragon Motifs | Why Design a Chair That Is Uncomfortable to Sit In? 18. Enamel Gourd Vase with Western Figures | What Happened When Rococo Reached the East? Bonus: The Story of Minglan Is Trending—Let Us Talk about Song-Dynasty Aesthetics 19. Wooden Tower Great Striking Clock | Why Did Qing Emperors Embrace Clocks but Miss the Industrial Revolution?