Architecture mirrors the material and aesthetic standards of a society, and Classical Chinese architectural concepts are indissolubly linked with a social order at once real and ideal, with a structured vision of the universe and with a certain scale of values. The Forbidden City or Imperial Palace (also known as The Palace Museum) is a prime example of this combination of construction and philosophy. Construction of the Forbidden City was started by order of the …showed first 75 words of 1887 total…

…showed last 75 words of 1887 total…build but made all construction an extension of their spiritual, emotional and theological beliefs. Whether building a palace or a barn, there was always a striking harmony between the plan, the function and the visual and emotional esthetics. Bibliography Pirazzoli, Michele, Living Architecture: Chinese (New York: Grosset & Dunlap, 1971) Shatzman-Steinhardt, Nancy, Chinese Imperial City Planning (Honolulu: University of Hawaii Press, 1990) Su, Gin-Djih, Chinese Architecture - Past and Contemporary (Hong Kong: The Sin Poh Amalgamated Limited, 1964)