This book explores the historical and cultural value of the Forbidden City (the Palace Museum), approaching the architecture, cultural relics, and history of the imperial court as an organically interconnected whole. Presenting a comprehensive history that reflects all its connotations, it situates the Forbidden City within the context of over 3,000 years of palace history and over 2,000 years of imperial history, presenting the historical trajectory of Chinese civilization behind it through rich details. Adopting a broader perspective, the book examines the Forbidden City within the larger framework of Eurasian historical changes since the 15th century.

ZHENG Xinmiao is a renowned contemporary Chinese scholar and an expert in cultural heritage research. During his nearly decade-long tenure as the director of the Palace Museum, he presided over the major restoration of the Forbidden City, conducted an inventory of cultural relics, and dedicated himself to the comprehensive preservation of the Forbidden City, its legacy and culture. In particular, he creatively proposed the academic concept of “Palace Studies” (Gugong Xue) in 2003, providing a precise positioning for the Forbidden City and the Palace Museum and revealing its overall value. Thanks to more than twenty years of dedication and extensive participation on the part of the academic community, Palace Studies has become an emerging discipline with unlimited prospects for development. Zheng Xinmiao has published over 30 monographs, including From the Red Chamber to the Forbidden City: Selected Works on Cultural Heritage, The Everlasting Cultural Pulse: Notes on Cultural Heritage, The Eternal Collection: An Overview of Cultural Relics in the Palace Museums of Both Sides of the Taiwan Strait, and An Introduction to Palace Studies.