Forbidden Gardens
Encyclopedia
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
culture and history located at Texas Highway 99 and Franz Road in northern Katy
Katy, Texas
Katy is a city located in Harris, Fort Bend and Waller Counties in the U.S. state of Texas, within the Houston–Sugar Land–Baytown metropolitan area...
, Greater Houston
Greater Houston
Houston–Sugar Land–Baytown is a 10-county metropolitan area defined by the Office of Management and Budget. It is located along the Gulf Coast region in the U.S. state of Texas...
, Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
, USA. The museum was funded and opened by business man Ira Poon in 1996.
Features and naming
Forbidden Gardens takes its name from two of its major features: A 1:20 scale modelScale model
A scale model is a physical model, a representation or copy of an object that is larger or smaller than the actual size of the object, which seeks to maintain the relative proportions of the physical size of the original object. Very often the scale model is used as a guide to making the object in...
of the Forbidden City
Forbidden City
The Forbidden City was the Chinese imperial palace from the Ming Dynasty to the end of the Qing Dynasty. It is located in the middle of Beijing, China, and now houses the Palace Museum...
with hundreds of palace buildings and figurines under a 40000 square feet (3,716.1 m²) pavilion, and the small grounds for walking and viewing additional exhibits.
Additional exhibits include a detailed panorama of a scholarly retreat called Lodge of the Calming of the Heart, an outdoor array of 6,000 one-third scale soldiers and chariots from the Terracotta Army
Terracotta Army
The Terracotta Army or the "Terra Cotta Warriors and Horses", is a collection of terracotta sculptures depicting the armies of Qin Shi Huang, the first Emperor of China...
tomb of the first Emperor of Qin, an indoor panorama of a city called the Venice of China (Suzhou
Suzhou
Suzhou , previously transliterated as Su-chou, Suchow, and Soochow, is a major city located in the southeast of Jiangsu Province in Eastern China, located adjacent to Shanghai Municipality. The city is situated on the lower reaches of the Yangtze River and on the shores of Taihu Lake and is a part...
), and rooms exhibiting details of historical architecture and weapons.
Forbidden Gardens is unusual in that it is privately funded, displays extensive models made and shipped from China, and gives a unique view and experience of one of the most interesting times in medieval Chinese history. It originally cost $40 million to construct and only 40 of the 80 acres (323,748.8 m²) Poon bought are currently being used. The Terracotta Army display is unique in that the statues are exposed to direct sunlight, unlike the sheltered originals
Terracotta Army
The Terracotta Army or the "Terra Cotta Warriors and Horses", is a collection of terracotta sculptures depicting the armies of Qin Shi Huang, the first Emperor of China...
, enabling excellent photography conditions.
Closure
It was announced that the Forbidden Gardens will close its doors on February 21, 2011, to make way for the Grand Parkway expansion.. Terracotta soldiers were offered on CraigslistCraigslist
Craigslist is a centralized network of online communities featuring free online classified advertisements, with sections devoted to jobs, housing, personals, for sale, services, community, gigs, résumés, and discussion forums....
for $100 a soldier, sparking media attention. The warriors were pulled off Craigslist on February 9, with a note explaining that excess demand made it necessary.
External links
- Forbidden Gardens website
- Review of visiting the Forbidden Gardens in 2009
- 1995 news article when it opened, and reference to publicity-shy owner
- The Grand Parkway Association
- Snyder, Mike. "Katy attraction succumbs to Grand Parkway." Houston ChronicleHouston ChronicleThe Houston Chronicle is the largest daily newspaper in Texas, USA, headquartered in the Houston Chronicle Building in Downtown Houston. , it is the ninth-largest newspaper by circulation in the United States...
. January 19, 2011.