A Hidden Garden In Beijing's Forbidden City Opens After 100 Years

Beijing has always been a fascinating mix of past and present. On one hand, China's capital is a fast-moving city full of glass towers, sleek cafes and electric cars. On the other hand, it is home to centuries of history, where narrow hutongs, red walls and old temples tell stories of another time.

Among all its famous landmarks, the Forbidden City stands tall - not just as a tourist spot but as a living piece of Chinese history. Every corner of this vast imperial palace holds secrets, some of which are only now being revealed.

And this year, one of those long-hidden treasures - a secret garden built for an emperor - finally opened its doors to the public.

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The Forbidden City's Hidden Gem

The Palace Museum, as the Forbidden City is officially known, marked its 100th anniversary in October. To celebrate, it gave visitors a special gift - access to the Qianlong Garden, a place that had remained closed for nearly a century.

The garden, tucked away in the northeastern corner of the complex, has been described by the museum as "the most exquisite and beautifully decorated garden" in the entire compound. When it opened on September 30, it instantly became one of Beijing's most talked-about attractions.

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A Garden Built For Retreat

The Qianlong Garden takes its name from Emperor Qianlong, one of the most powerful rulers of the Qing Dynasty. While the rest of the Forbidden City was designed to impress - with massive courtyards and grand halls symbolising power - this garden had a more personal touch.

Its discreet entrance hints at its original purpose: a private retreat for the emperor. Covering about 6,000 square meters, it is smaller than a soccer field but rich in design. The garden is divided into four connected courtyards, two of which are now open to visitors. Each courtyard has a unique character - some filled with buildings, others open and peaceful.

"The architecture has carved up the very tight space to accommodate many sceneries," said Ho Puay-peng, a Singaporean architect and the UNESCO Chair on Architectural Heritage Conservation and Management in Asia, as quoted by CNN.

He added, "When you look at the sceneries from below and up on the inner pavilion, on the artificial hills, you get different perspectives."

Long Journey Of Restoration

Restoring the Qianlong Garden was not quick or easy. The process took 25 years - longer than it took to build the garden in the 1770s. The effort began with a 2000 partnership between the World Monuments Fund and the Palace Museum.

"I am happy to see they spent such a long time on this," said Ho, who has followed the museum's progress for decades.

When he first visited the Forbidden City in the late 1980s, the sight shocked him. "Horrible," he said simply, remembering how many courtyards were used as storage or filled with garbage, and how some buildings were even occupied by government offices. At that time, much of the massive complex was off-limits to visitors, and many areas had suffered from neglect, fire and decay. 

The Palace Museum's Revival

The Palace Museum officially opened in 1925, after the last Qing emperor, Pu Yi, was forced to leave. But real restoration work did not begin until decades later.

Things started to change in 2002, when the State Council - China's cabinet - held a meeting at the site and launched a large-scale renovation plan. At that point, only about one-third of the complex was open to the public.

By 2018, that number had jumped to 80%, thanks to careful restoration work, removal of 135 temporary structures, and the repair of countless buildings and walls.

The newly opened Qianlong Garden is a symbol of that ongoing effort - and not the end of it. The museum has already announced that the Hall of Mental Cultivation (Yangxindian), once the living and working quarters for Qing emperors, is expected to reopen soon. Restoration of that hall began in 2018.

A Cultural Mission

When China's President Xi Jinping visited the Palace Museum last month for its anniversary exhibition, he called it "an important symbol of the Chinese civilisation." He added that it should "work harder to protect, restore, and make good use of the cultural relics."

As the Qianlong Garden welcomes visitors after nearly a century, it stands as a quiet reminder that in the heart of fast-changing Beijing, history continues to breathe - one restored courtyard at a time.