Forbidden City Audio Tour

This free audio guide includes 19 tour stops to complement highlighted works on display in the special exhibition "Forbidden City: Imperial Treasures from the Palace Museum, Beijing." This art exhibition is organized by the Palace Museum and the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts in Richmond, Virginia.

On-view at VMFA from October 18, 2014 through January 11, 2015, this exhibition offers visitors a unique journey through a palace once forbidden to the general public, and provides a glimpse into this hidden world through rich and diverse objects from the Ming (1368–1644) and Qing (1644–1911) dynasties.

Featured works include large portraits, costumes, furniture, court paintings, religious sculptures, and fine decorative arts such as bronzes, lacquer ware, and jade. This exhibition explores the significant roles of imperial rituals, court painting, imperial family life, and religion in the Forbidden City.