[caption id="attachment_3405" align="alignnone" width="284"]<a href="http://jeanatacc.com/2011/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/fie23976_21025.png"><img class="size-medium wp-image-3405" alt="fie23976_21025" src="http://jeanatacc.com/2011/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/fie23976_21025-284x300.png" width="284" height="300" /></a> Xu Yang, <em>Bird's Eye View of the Capital</em> http://textflow.mcgraw-hill.com//figures/0077346181/fie23976_21025.png[/caption]

The Forbidden City "was the most elaborate imperial monument of the Ming and Qing eras" (Fiero). Once the Ming court settled it in 1421, it remained a cornerstone of Chinese government and artistic vision into the early 20th century. The longevity of this work and it's importance as the seat of Chinese government make a strong case for it's worth as an object of preservation. Built in Beijing, China, it represented the separation between the government bureaucracy and aristocracy from the peasants. This elitism is what earned the name Forbidden City, and the 10 foot high walls surrounding the complex added to the mystique and exclusivity of the work. Inside those walls were an elaborate microcosm of imperial life, and it's residents had every necessity and luxury possible without ever having to go into the outside world. The central structure was the Hall of Supreme Harmony where the emperor (In Chinese 皇帝, pronounced huangdi literally meaning "Son of Heaven") conducted his affairs. This marriage of spirituality with governance shows itself in the numerous temples and gardens alongside administrative buildings.

HISTORICAL CONTEXT Prior to the Forbidden City, China already had a history of dynasties and strong central government. Confucianism, the

Around the world imperial palaces such as Versailles in France and Shahjahanabad in India were being constructed by powerful authoritarian rulers.

As a work the Forbidden City has been declared a world heritage site by UNESCO. In modern China the Forbidden City is highly regarded, and a backlash was triggered when the coffee chain Starbucks was planning on expanding onto the site. News anchor Rui Chenggang blogged "...having one inside the <strong>City</strong> is inappropriate. This is not globalization, but an erosion of Chinese culture." (Chenggang qtd. in Roberts)

Fiero, Gloria. "The Humanistic Tradition Book 3, The European Renaissance, The Reformation, And Global Encounter." <em>6<sup>th</sup>. McGraw-Hill Humanities/Social Sciences/Languages</em>, 2010.  September 29, 2013.

Changhong, Guo. 2008. "The Qing Palace: from a Forbidden City to a Public Heritage." <i>Museum International</i> 60, no. 1/2: 78-88. <i>Academic Search Complete</i>, EBSCO<i>host</i> (accessed September 29, 2013).

Naquin, Susan. 2004. "The Forbidden City Goes Abroad: Qing History and the Foreign Exhibitions of the Palace Museum, 1974–2004." <i>T'oung Pao</i> 90, no. 4: 341-397. <i>Academic Search Complete</i>, EBSCO<i>host</i> (accessed September 29, 2013).

Gao, Xiang, Yilin, tr Deng, and Shiwu, tr Deng. 2010. "The rise of a new tradition: Changes in values and life styles in late Ming China /." <i>Frontiers Of History In China</i> 5, no. 1: 1-29. <i>Humanities Full Text (H.W. Wilson)</i>, EBSCO<i>host.</i> (accessed September 29, 2013).

UNESCO. "Imperial Palaces of the Ming and Qing Dynasties in Beijing and Shenyang" <em>UNESCO. </em>Web. 14 Oct. 2013.

Michaelson, Carol. <i>Ming Dynasty</i>. n.p.: Oxford University Press, 1996. <i>Grove Art Online</i>. Web. 14 Oct. 2013.

Roberts, Dexter. "Forbidden Starbucks." <i>Businessweek Online</i> (2007): 14. <i>Business Source Complete</i>. Web. 14 Oct. 2013.

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