The Handcrafted Heart of an Empire
China’s Forbidden City
during the Ming and Qing Dynasties
Kale Kingsbury
LIS 601: Introduction to Reference & Information Services
Dr. Diane Nahl
November 28, 2006
Table of Contents
Introduction
Search Strategy
I. Within the Library
A. LCSH (Library of Congress Subject Headings)
B. Natural Language
C. Browsing the Stacks – Some useful Call Numbers
D. Reference Works
E. University of Hawaii Voyager Database
F. Hawaii State Public Library Database
II. Electronic Databases
A. Bibliography of Asian Studies (BAS)
B. Project MUSE
C. Arts and Humanities Citation Index
D. MasterFILE Premier
E. Academic Search Premier
F. Ingenta
G. JSTOR Arts and Sciences Collection
H. Historical Abstracts Database Online
I. Things Asian
J. PAIS (Public Affairs Information Service) International
K. Anthropological Index Online (AIO)
III. Internet Search Engines
A. Amazon.com
B. Google.com
Conclusion
Endnotes
Appendix A: Search Terms Relevancy
Library Databases
Electronic Databases
Websites
Appendix B: Selected Bibliography
General sources – History of the Forbidden City
Primary sources – Life within the Forbidden City
Art and artifacts of the Forbidden City
Introduction
At the center of the Chinese capital of Beijing it stands; a veritable city within a city. In centuries past its walls housed two dynasty’s worth of royalty; individuals whose power was believed to have been bestowed by the heavens itself. A palace it was, but far larger and grander than any palace that had ever been, or has ever come since. “It” is best known today as the Forbidden City, and for nearly five centuries it served as the heart of one of the greatest empires in history.
Still, nothing lasts forever, and the empire of China was no exception. As the nation’s former imperial glory waned, the Forbidden City went from palace to prison, and finally to museum. Where being caught within the walls once meant instant death for a commoner, tourists and civilians now crowd the halls and courtyards where kings and courtiers once walked. But despite the empire’s less than glamorous fall into ruin, the Forbidden City remains a source of historic and national pride to the Chinese people. Painstakingly repaired and refurbished, today the Forbidden City is one of the most well-preserved historic palace complexes in the world.
I once had the good fortune to visit the Forbidden City, though I was too young at the time to appreciate the architecture, the history, the sheer grandeur of the place. Only now, years later, am I beginning to realize what an opportunity I, in my youthful ignorance, had missed. To that end, I was interested in researching the Forbidden City in the hopes that I will be suitably informed next time…always assuming, of course, that there is a next time.
This bibliography plan is intended to be a guide for anyone interested in information on the Forbidden City while it served as the seat of Imperial power in China. The time span is less than appears at first glance, as the City was constructed during the Ming Dynasty and only housed the rulers of China’s last two dynasties: the Ming and Qing. Most of the sources documented within are meant for members of an academic audience with an interest in history or anthropology and at least some knowledge of the Forbidden City and what it represents. That is not to say that individuals seeking general information or those planning to visit the Forbidden City will not find this bibliography helpful; however, the majority of the sources listed may be too detailed or mundane for those with only a passing interest.
For the purposes of the bibliography, I have attempted to focus primarily on the history of the Forbidden City, from its construction during the reign of Emperor Yong-le to the abdication of the Last Emperor Pu-yi. However, I was also interested in the art and architecture of the complex and the way of life within its walls. As these topics make up the cultural history of the Forbidden City and were frequently a part of the sources I researched, they are also a part of this plan. Most of the sources are works of research published within the last 30 years, but the occasional gem in the form of a primary source also makes an appearance. All of the sources are in English. Though I did find numerous sources in Chinese, I cannot read the language well enough to make a fair assessment of their contents. Thus, they are not included.
Before beginning a full-fledged search, it may be beneficial to examine some general reference works, such as encyclopedias, to get an overview of the Forbidden City and identify key figures or alternate names that could be used as search terms. It was through this process that I was able to find the names of specific rulers and, more importantly, learn that the Forbidden City was only built in the early 1400s (I had previously thought it to be much older).
Many of the best known encyclopedias, such as the Britannica, Americana, Collier’s and World Book, have rather short entries and give no major details about the Forbidden City or its history; do not rely on these for this topic. Rather, seek out sources in the Asia or Asia Ref section. There are several encyclopedias and guidebooks that are focused entirely on China, and entries on the Forbidden City are far more extensive. Some excellent general reference works I found (simply by browsing the shelves!) were:
Companion to Chinese History,[1] by Hugh B. O’Neill. (see “Forbidden City”)
China, 3rd edition, by Nagel Publishers.[2] (see “ImperialPalace”)
Encyclopedia of China: The Essential Reference to China, Its History, and Culture[3], by Dorothy Perkins. (see “Forbidden City”)
Please do not hesitate to speak with a reference librarian if you need additional assistance with your research. Admittedly, I did not pursue this particular strategy, though that was due to my relative lack of experience in using reference sources and databases. I wished to familiarize myself with the resources through self-exploration first (learning through doing, or so the wits are wont to say). But this was a personal choice, and consulting with reference personnel can have the benefit of 1) saving one much time, 2) revealing search terms and sources one did not manage to locate, or even thought existed, 3) giving one a good foundation on which to begin a major research project.
Lastly, for point of reference, all citations within this bibliography have been entered according to Kate Turabian’s A Manual for Writers of Term Papers, Theses, and Dissertations.[4]
Search Strategy
I. Within the Library
A. LCSH (Library of Congress Subject Headings)[5]
As this plan is focused on one particular historic site, the number of applicable Subject Headings is rather small. I was only able to locate one that was directly applicable:
FORBIDDEN CITY (BEIJING, CHINA)
This is something of a blanket heading as it appears to have been intended to cover any and all topics with the Forbidden City as its focus. There were no Narrower Terms and no See Also terms. The entry contained a great many Used For terms, reinforcing the idea of a blanket heading. Finally, the only Broader Term, PALACES – CHINA, is too vague for the subject of this bibliography.
Of course, with searching, it is generally unwise to depend on a single term or heading. A strategy I used to address the lack of directly applicable Controlled Vocabulary was to experiment with Subject Headings for which the Forbidden City would fall under:
CHINA – HISTORY – MING DYNASTY, 1368-1644
CHINA – HISTORY – QING DYNASTY, 1644-1912
CHINA – KINGS AND RULERS
ARCHITECTURE – CHINESE
ART - CHINESE
CHINA – POLITICS AND GOVERNMENT – 1368-1644
CHINA – POLITICS AND GOVERNMENT – 1644-1912
I have listed these Headings according to how useful I found them to be, with the most useful at the top. Because the topics of these headings are extremely broad, it is imperative to refine them with other Controlled Vocabulary or, preferably, with Natural Language (please refer to Section B below). Often, “Forbidden City”, added as a keyword search, is sufficient.
Another strategy worth attempting is to search by the Controlled Vocabulary for individual emperors who lived within the Forbidden City. Some examples include:
CHINA – HISTORY – KANGXI, 1662-1722
CHINA – HISTORY – QIANLONG, 1736-1795
CHINA – HISTORY – XUANTONG, 1908-1912
Now this strategy is only effective if you know the names and dates of the Ming and Qing emperors, but not to worry, many books about the Forbidden City and reference works on China in general include listings of the emperors for each dynasty. A word of caution: this strategy is not foolproof. Not only is the addition of a refining term like “Forbidden City” necessary, several of the Ming and Qing rulers had relatively uneventful reigns and, as such, do not appear in the LCSH. This strategy also excludes several other figures vital to the Forbidden City’s history, such as the Empress Dowager Cixi.
The Controlled Vocabulary listed in this section is very useful for finding sources; however, they should not be solely relied upon. One reason is that not all of the Electronic Databases have Controlled Vocabulary search options. A second is that the Subject Headings listed above are very broad; it is often necessary to add additional terms to refine the results to a manageable number. Finally, in the course of my searches, I came across a number of useful sources that do not show up in the results of Controlled Vocabulary only searches.
B. Natural Language
A solution to the drawbacks of Controlled Vocabulary is the use of Natural Language search terms. Following are a number ofthe more common Natural Language search terms and phrases I utilized:
“Forbidden City” AND Beijing AND (Ming OR Qing)
“Forbidden City” AND Beijing AND histor*
“Forbidden City” AND Beijing AND cultur*
“Forbidden City” AND Beijing AND architect*
“Forbidden City” AND Beijing AND art
When doing Natural Language searches, it is important to input Forbidden City in quotation marks so that the computer knows you are searching for that specific phrase. Otherwise the result sets will include any sources containing both the words “forbidden” and “city.”
It is also important to include “Beijing”; you will often see the two terms appearing side by side in the Search Term Relevancy charts in the Appendix. Though China’s Forbidden City is the best known, there are other complexes throughout the world that go by the same name. Failure to specify “Beijing” means that you will need to spend time sifting through records of a palace in Tibet, an enclave in Texas, and a seedy nightclub in Los Angeles, to name a few.
On the flip side, “Forbidden City” is not the only name the dynastic capital goes by. Another term that is commonly used is “ImperialPalace.” If you look up this phrase in the LCSH, you will be referred to the very first Heading mentioned in Section A above. However, all’s fair in Natural Language. Again, be sure to specify “Beijing” (if there are a lot of Forbidden Cities in the world, there are even more Imperial Palaces).
“ImperialPalace” AND Beijing (plus any of the Natural Language terms above)
The Forbidden City is also known by a wide variety of other names: Gugong, the Great Within, Zijincheng, and the Purple Forbidden City are a few of the more common titles I came across. Though they may sound promising, these terms are actually dead ends when it comes to library and electronic databases. I very rarely found any worthwhile sources when using these terms during my searches.
In the LCSH section I mentioned the strategy of using the names of individual emperors. That strategy works for Natural Language as well, but it is slightly more complicated. Here are some examples of my use of this strategy:
Yongle AND “Forbidden City”
Kangxi AND Forbidden AND City
Qianlong AND Beijing
Cixi AND “ImperialPalace”
Puyi OR “Last Emperor” AND histor*
Individual names make good refining terms to be added to Controlled Vocabulary. They are not as helpful stand-alone, and tend to require one of the latter terms from the above list to help specify what it is the searcher is looking for (terms can be mixed and matched among the names). Depending on the database, it may be necessary to add the term “emperor”, either as “emperor” AND “Kangxi” or “emperor Qianlong”. While there were a total of twenty-four sovereigns who ruled from the Forbidden City, the five individuals I listed are the only ones who have sufficient sources about them to make a search worthwhile. Finally, different sources may use different spellings of rulers’ names, based on the author’s choice to use Romanization or Chinese Pinyin. For example, “Yongle” versus “Yung Lo”, “Cixi” as opposed to “Tz’u Hsi”, or “Pu Yi” instead of “Hsuan T’ung.”
Ultimately, this strategy may be too time-consuming or complicated for the narrowly focused results that tend to be retrieved. This is especially true for individuals seeking a general overview of the Forbidden City’s history. I found this strategy to be rather helpful, but in the end, it is an individual judgment call.
Please note that Natural Language searching is not without its own shortcomings. While it is beneficial to use both Controlled Vocabulary and Natural Language, when all is said and done some of the best result sets are obtained by combining the two.
C. Browsing the Stacks – Some useful Call Numbers:
Library of Congress Classification System:
DS – History of Asia
DS753-753.7 – History of Asia – China – History - By Period - 960-1644 - Ming Dynasty, 1368-1644
DS753.82-773.6 – History of Asia – China – History - By Period - Qing (Ch’ing) Dynasty, 1644-1912
DS795.8 – History of Asia – China – Local history and description – Cities, towns, counties, prefectures, etc. – National municipalities and special administrative regions – Beijing (Peking, Peiping) – Buildings
N – Visual Arts
N7343.5 – Visual arts – History – Special regions or countries – Asia. The Orient – Eastern Asia. China, Japan, etc. – China – Before 1800 – Ming-Ch’ing dynasties (1368-1912)
NA – Architecture
NA1547 – Architecture – History – Architecture of special countries – Asia. The Orient – Eastern Asia. China, Japan, etc. – China – Special cities
The topic of the Forbidden City is specific enough that there is no single call number, or even class letter, attributed to it. In other words, do not expect to be able to find every book on the Forbidden City sitting on one particular range of shelves in the library (I myself found applicable books and journals on four different floors of two different libraries at UH Manoa).
What I have included here is a selection of class letters and numbers from the most relevant books I was able to find, along with a topic classification as listed in the Library of Congress’s Classweb website.[6] You will notice that the topics are still pretty broad, and that the Forbidden City is not mentioned specifically. Therefore, it is best not to swear by them. For this topic, locating relevant items by serendipity is possible, but it would be advisable to conduct some searches before heading to the shelves.
Dewey Decimal Classification System:
951 –China
951.026 – Ming Dynasty
951.03 – Qing Dynasty / Manchu Dynasty
728.82 – Palaces-Architecture
725.17 – Palaces-Official residences
Public libraries utilize this system of classification. I personally prefer Library of Congress, but that’s only because I am more familiar with it. At any rate, provided here are some Dewey-based call numbers to help public library users get started. As with the Library of Congress numbers, please note that the topics associated with each Dewey number are still very wide-ranging and do not focus directly on the Forbidden City. Catalog searches are, again, preferable to simply browsing.
Searching within the 951.026 and 951.03 subfields specifically will provide the greatest number of results. It is possible to find sources in the 700 based fields mentioned in the list, but it requires a greater amount of patience.
D. Reference Works:
Balay’s Guide to Reference Books[7] is a worthwhile place to start one’s search, as it can point its user in the direction of bibliographies and other reference sources that will provide additional information on their topic. In this case, I reviewed the listings under “DE History and Area Studies – Asia – Asia.” This led me to a number of reference sources, three of which proved to be highly applicable:
Cambridge Encyclopedia of China[8], edited by Brian Hook.
The Cambridge History of China[9], edited by Denis Twitchett and John K. Fairbank.
The History of Imperial China[10]; A Research Guide, by Endymion Wilkinson.
E. University of Hawaii Voyager Database:
For the purposes of this bibliography, the UH Manoa Hamilton Library was my primary source for materials. There are two reasons for this. First, a history of any sort is a lengthy project, one better suited to the larger space allotments allowed by books. Second, I generally prefer books over online journal or scholarly articles, a preference demonstrated by my level of experience in searching the respective mediums. Though I attempted to devotethe same amount of time I spent using the library databases to each electronic database, I believe my searches of the latter were ultimately more thorough. My search of the UH Voyager database was definitely the most successful of any resource, and it was here that I located the majority of sources relevant to the Forbidden City.
This was the first database I searched, and as such, my choice of terms was rather basic. I tried to go with a variety of subjects and phrases, but at this point in my research, I was not aware of many search terms that I would uncover later on. FORBIDDEN CITY (BEIJING, CHINA) gave an automatic 36 results. The items here were, for the most part, relevant, though I did see that, in the future, narrowing the results with other terms would be necessary.
Trying “Forbidden City” as a keyword search surprised me. Though many of the results were similar to those found with the Controlled Vocabulary, there were more, including several relevant books that had not appeared under the first search. If anything, this proves the importance of searching both Controlled and Natural terms within each database.