Illustrating the Layout of the Forbidden City 
Before the Forbidden City/6 
[1] The Takeover/8 
[2] Book of Experiences/18 
[3] Direct Models of the Forbidden City in Beijing/26 
[4] Zhu Di's Plan/34 
The Ideal City/38 
[1] ATheory/40 
[2] A Set of Grids/51 
[3] Calculation and Collation/58 
The Vicissitudes of the Ideal City/68 
[1] The Young Emperor's Task/70 
[2] The Old Man's Foresight/91 
My Quatrevingt-treize/104 
[1] Structures According to Mr. Zhao/106 
[2] Construction According to Another Mr. Zhao/109 
The Hall of Supreme Harmony, a Double-eave Principal Hall/114 
[1] Two Groups of Troublesome Data/116 
[2] ACoincidental Square?/125 
[3] Why 7.459 zhang?/129 
[4] Liang Jiu's Mistake?/i33 
The Hall of Exuberance Flower, a Single-ease Hall/139 
[l] 1/4zhang/140 
[2] 1/4chi/144 
[3] 1/4cun/148 
The Pavilion of Embodying Benevolence and the Pavilion of Spreading Righteousness, Iwo Han-style Pavilions/152 
[1] ZhangXisheng/156 
[2] Zhang Xisheng's Design of Pavilion of Embodying Benevolence/160 
[3] Zhang Xisheng didn't Know Much about Pavilion of Spreading Righteousness/166 
Pavilion of the Rain of Flowers, a Tibetan-style Pavillion/174 
[1] On the Tibetan Style/176 
[2] The Structure and Decoration of the Pavilion of the Rain of Flowers/184 
The Corner Tower/194 
[1] Design Starts from the Plan: Comer Cross/196 
[2] The Expression of the Pediment of the Comer Tower/204
From the Old House of Nurgaci to the Palace of Earthly Iranqutlity 222 
[1] 1587/224 
[2] 1627/228 
[3] 1656/230 
The Hall of Mental Cultivation 232 
[1] The hnperial Kitchen, the Bed Chalnber, the Classroom and the Household Workshop/234 
[2] A Place for Industrious Reign/240 
[3] The Owner Has the Say/246 
['4] Regency and Emperorhood/251 
From Banmu Yuan to Juanqin Zhai 256 
[1] Banmu Yuan, the Half-Acre Garden/258 
[2] Studio of Esteemed Excellence/263 
[3] Juanqin Zhai, the Studio of Exhaustion of Diligent Service/267 
Studio of Cleansing Fragrance 272 
[1] "The Present Cannot be Compared with the Past"/274 
[2] Those Enclosed Small Chalnbers/280 
[3] Unveiling the lnterior Theatre/283 
Paxvlion of Met Expectations/286 
[1] Ambiguity of the "Bright Hail"/288 
[2] LiZhiying/294 
[3] Handicraft in South China/298 
Palace for Nurturing Joy/306 
[1] Its Present Conditions/308 
[2] The Labyrinth Was Not Built in A Day/312 
[3] Not A Labyrinth at First/320 
Palace of Peaceful Longevity 1 324 
[1] The Forty Happy Years of the Qianlong's Mother/328 
[2] The Renovation Long Awaited by Emperor Jiaqing/332 
[3] The Owner Reluctant to Move into the Palace/336 
From Palace of Eternal Spring to the 
Palace of Accumulated Purity/342 
[1] The Heritage of Emperor Xianfeng/344 
[2] The Balance Between the Eastern Palace and the Western Palace/351 
[3] The Lost Theatre/354 
List of Illustrations/362