The critically acclaimed exhibition “The Forbidden City in Monaco, Imperial Court Life in China”, will continue at the Grimaldi Forum until September 10.
The magnificent exhibition comprising 250 rare pieces, some of which had never left China, discovers the splendour of court life under the emperors of the last dynasty, the Qing (1644-1911). The impressive selection is complemented by remarkable loans from such prestigious European collections as the Musée du Louvre in Paris and the British Museum in London.
The focus is a celebration of the Forbidden City’s pomp and circumstance, its tastes and its grandeur. The exhibition is jointly curated by Jean-Paul Desroches, honorary general curator, and Wang Yuegong, director of the Imperial Court Life Department at the Forbidden City itself.
The Forbidden City is one of the most impressive palace complexes, and the world’s most popular tourist venue, with some 10 million visitors annually. Now both a palace and a museum, it served as the hub around which the new capital, Beijing, was organised. Created on the orders of the third Ming emperor, it was built at a single stroke between 1406 and 1420, and became the cradle of power for the Manchu dynasty for almost three centuries.
Visitors are advised to take a jacket, since the temperature is kept at a constant 21 degrees. Open daily from 10 am until 8 pm, until 10 pm on Thursdays.