Part 2 of the Forbidden City series — a deep dive into Beijing's history, Chinese culture, and the stories behind the architecture.
Every colour, number, and rooftop creature in the Forbidden City was a deliberate choice. This episode decodes the architecture and how the building communicates power, class, and gender roles — for example, the concubine system.
And one woman, Cixi, who entered the palace at sixteen and ended up controlling three successive emperors for nearly fifty years.
And what happened to the Forbidden City? The fires, the invasions, the looting — and where in the world you can still see pieces of the Forbidden City if you don't have any immediate travel plans to Beijing. Yet!
Missed Part 1? Start there — it covers who built the Forbidden City and why.
EP1: How It All Began — live now
EP3: 600 Years in 30 Minutes — coming next week
👋 Connect with me on Instagram @chen_backinbeijing
📒 An ethical playbook for Beijing on Instagram @a_day_in_beijing
One more thing, I want to hear from you!
If you have a story to tell about Beijing, about China, join me on this podcast. You could be a café owner. A calligrapher. An underground rave DJ. A teacher. A civil servant. A street vendor who's been cooking the same dish for forty years. You don't need equipment. You don't need to speak perfect English. I'll handle the recording, the editing, the posting, everything.
All you need to do is tell your story.
This isn't a business. This is a cause. I just want the world beyond the VPN to see a glimpse of the real us. I believe in it, and I hope you do too.
