Forbidden City: The Palace at the Heart of Chinese Culture

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$2,450 AUD

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For more than six centuries, the Forbidden City has awed all those who have travelled from near and far to explore its 900 golden-roofed buildings, set amid moats, gardens, and plazas, where thousands of people lived and worked in service of the world’s largest and most sophisticated pre-modern...
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Ian Johnson is a regular contributor to The New York Review of Books and The New York Times; his work has also appeared in The New Yorker and National Geographic. During more than twenty years of working in China he has won the Pulitzer Prize for International Reporting and the Shorenstein lifetime achievement award for covering Asia. An advising editor for The Journal of Asian Studies, he also teaches university courses on religion and society at the Beijing Center for Chinese Studies. He is the author of three books that focus on the intersection of politics and religion: Wild Grass: Three Stories of Change in China; A Mosque in Munich: Nazis, The CIA, and The Rise of the Muslim Brotherhood in the West; and The Souls of China: The Return of Religion After Mao. Ian currently resides in Beijing.

The Ultimate Collection

Forbidden City: The Palace at the Heart of Chinese Culture

$2,450

This vast gathering of courts and palaces remains one of the most sublime architectural creations in the world.

— Simon Leys, Art Historian

In the details

Ultimate Collection curates culture from around the world and across the ages. Hand-bound using traditional techniques, with color plates hand-tipped on art-quality paper, each page of this limited-edition series bears the unique imprint of the artisan.

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In the details

Each purchase comes with complimentary white handling gloves and our signature tote bag.

Page count

200 pages

Number of illustrations

over 100

Language

English

Released on

January 2021

Dimensions

W 46 x L 51 x D 9 cm

Cover materials

Handcrafted edition in a red lacquered glossy clamshell case

ISBN

9781614289265

Weight

9.072 kg

Ian Johnson

Our commitment to sustainability

Assouline supports One Tree Planted in its commitment to a more sustainable world through reforestation. Since 2019, this partnership has contributed to global efforts to restore forests, with the long-term vision of creating a sustainable cycle by sourcing paper from the trees planted. Our dedication to craftsmanship extends beyond the books themselves—today, our titles are printed on paper selected with the environment in mind, supporting the shift toward more responsible materials. With the belief that beauty stands not just in how it looks, but in how it’s made.

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Ultimate Gift Wrapping

Assouline signature gift wrapping is available. When this option is selected, books are wrapped in a special white matte gift wrapping paper – sourced specifically by the Assouline family for an authentic approach and sealed with the brand’s signature red wax seal for the final touch of luxury.

Savoir-Faire

This French concept embodies the art of knowing exactly what to do and when to do it. At Assouline, savoir-faire defines every creation: from the artistry of our covers to the meticulous detailing of our Ultimate Collection and the precision of every page. Hand-bound using traditional techniques, with color plates hand-tipped on art-quality paper, each tome in the Ultimate Collection bears the distinct imprint of the artisan. Nestled in luxurious clamshell presentation cases, every title is a journey of craftsmanship, from concept to creation, guided by our creative team and brought to life with the highest standards of design, photography, and production. Each book reflects the dedication, care, and expertise that transform an idea into a lasting work of art.

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