Secrets of the Forbidden City

An architectural feat covering 72 hectares, the Forbidden City was built between 1406 and 1420 on the initiative of the emperor Yongle. Anxious to establish his authority, this usurper of the fledgling Ming dynasty undertook to unify China and refocus political, economic and military power to the north. He moved the capital from Nanjing to Beijing and built the Forbidden City, where the empire's bloated administration, concubines and eunuchs would cohabit for five centuries. Exploring, in the company of architects, historians, engineers and craftsmen, the treasures of this maze, the film shows how the most sophisticated techniques were combined with the most refined arts for its construction.