Article on Professor Campbell's New Book in the South China Morning Post

This past July, an article on professor Aurelia Campbell’s new book, What the Emperor Built: Architecture and Empire in the Early Ming (University of Washington Press, 2020), was published in the Hong Kong newspaper South China Morning Post.

The article focuses on the construction of the imperial palaces, now known as the Forbidden City, in Beijing, which are examined in the first two chapters of Campbell’s book. The palaces were established in 1420—exactly 600 years ago—under the patronage of the Yongle emperor (r. 1402–24), one of the most famous rulers in Chinese history. Campbell takes a fresh approach to the history of this site, focusing on often overlooked issues, such as the sourcing of materials and the organization of craftsmen. The article’s author writes that the book will “make even those familiar with Beijing’s ancient buildings feel that while they may have looked, they perhaps did not entirely see.”

Campbell will teach a seminar, “Art and Architecture in the Forbidden City,” on this topic in spring 2021.