Documentary: Inside The Forbidden City

Allan Tucker
Published on Nov 19, 2016

Documentary The Forbidden City of Ming &Qing Dynasties (1368 – 1912 AD) 明清紫禁城

Bronze Goblet
Published on Oct 2, 2014

Playlist of documentaries about Chinese major dynasties: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list…
The Forbidden City was the Chinese imperial palace complex from the Ming Dynasty (1368–1644AD) to the end of the Qing Dynasty (1644–1912AD). It is located in the center of Beijing, China, and now houses the Palace Museum. For almost 500 years, it served as the home of emperors and their households, as well as the ceremonial and political center of Chinese government.

Built in 1406 to 1420, the complex consists of 980 buildings and covers 72 ha (180 acres). The palace complex exemplifies traditional Chinese palatial architecture, and has influenced cultural and architectural developments in East Asia and elsewhere. The Forbidden City was declared a World Heritage Site in 1987, and is listed by UNESCO as the largest collection of preserved ancient wooden structures in the world.

Beijing Travel Guide – Forbidden City Documentary (Palace Museum) Part 1 “Secrets” HD

wikibeijing
Published on Sep 13, 2014

Seat of supreme power for over five centuries (1420-1911), the Forbidden City in Beijing, with its landscaped gardens and many buildings, constitutes a priceless testimony to Chinese civilization during the Ming and Qing dynasties.

China Unknown: Bookworms Rejoice!

CGTN America
Published on Jun 26, 2018

Who says libraries are a thing of the past? In China, they’re a thing of the future, especially the new one in Tianjin that’s turning heads (and pages).

High Stakes In Helsinki As Trump And Putin Meet | On Point

Russian President Vladimir Putin, left, and U.S. President Donald Trump talk as they arrive for the family photo session during the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Summit in Danang, Vietnam, Saturday, Nov. 11, 2017. President Trump stood before a summit of Asian leaders keen on regional trade pacts and delivered a roaring “America first” message Friday, denouncing China for unfair trade practices just a day after he had heaped praise on President Xi Jinping in Beijing. (AP Photo/Hau Dinh)

July 16, 2018   With Harry Smith

The eyes of the world are on Helsinki for the Trump-Putin summit. We’re watching, too.

Guests

Richard Haass, President of the Council on Foreign Relations. Author of “A World In Disarray: American Foreign Policy And The Crisis Of The Old Order” (@RichardHaass)

Julia Ioffe, journalist and correspondent for GQ Magazine, and contributing writer for The Atlantic (@juliaioffe)

From The Reading List

The Guardian: “Trump tells Putin at Helsinki summit: ‘I really think the world wants to see us get along’ ” — “In opening remarks to Putin, Trump said he planned to discuss trade, military, missiles and China. He did not mention Russian meddling in the U.S. election, Ukraine, Syria, Nato or Salisbury poisoning. But he congratulate Putin on a successful World Cup.”

The Atlantic: “What Putin Really Wants” — “Both Putin and his country are aging, declining—but the insecurities of decline present their own risks to America. The United States intelligence community is unanimous in its assessment not only that Russians interfered in the U.S. election but that, in the words of former FBI Director James Comey, “they will be back.” It is a stunning escalation of hostilities for a troubled country whose elites still have only a tenuous grasp of American politics. And it is classically Putin, and classically Russian: using daring aggression to mask weakness, to avenge deep resentments, and, at all costs, to survive. I’d come to Russia to try to answer two key questions. The more immediate is how the Kremlin, despite its limitations, pulled off one of the greatest acts of political sabotage in modern history, turning American democracy against itself. And the more important—for Americans, anyway—is what might still be in store, and how far an emboldened Vladimir Putin is prepared to go in order to get what he wants.”

CNBC: “China will be watching and learning as Trump meets Putin” —

“As President Donald Trump and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin prepare for a head-to-head on Monday, nearby superpower China will be paying the most attention to the relationship dynamic between the two leaders, analysts told CNBC. The Trump-Putin summit taking place in Helsinki, Finland, this week “could present China with important strategic opportunities as well as offering valuable lessons for its own relationship with the U.S. president,” John Ferguson, director of global forecasting at analysis firm Economist Intelligence Unit, told CNBC via e-mail.”

Two men alone in a room except for translators. Each with strong opinions about their ability to get what they want. President Trump says he hopes he can make a friend of President Putin. Should he? The autocrat annexed Ukraine’s Crimean peninsula by force. Putin chose sides with Syrian strongman Assad. And yes, there’s the hacking of the U.S. presidential election.

This hour, On Point: the Helsinki summit.

— Harry Smith

This program aired on July 16, 2018.

Election Interference Takes Center Stage At Trump-Putin Press Conference | On Point

July 17, 2018 U.S. President Donald Trump, left, and Russian President Vladimir Putin shake hand at the beginning of a meeting at the Presidential Palace in Helsinki, Finland, Monday, July 16, 2018. (Pablo Martinez Monsivais/AP)

With Anthony Brooks

Blowback and fallout after the Helsinki Summit. President Trump backs Putin over U.S. intelligence. We take a closer look.

Guest

Nancy Cook, White House reporter for POLITICO. (@nancook)

John Sipher, former member of CIA Clandestine Service. (@john_sipher)

Andrew Weiss, vice president for studies a the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, and served on the National Security Council staff as a Russian expert under President Bill Clinton. (@andrewsweiss)

From The Reading List

CNN: “Trump declines to side with US intelligence over Putin” — “U.S. President Donald Trump, in a stunning rebuke of the US intelligence community, declined on Monday to endorse the U.S. government’s assessment that Russia interfered in the 2016 presidential election, saying he doesn’t ‘see any reason why’ Russia would be responsible. Instead, Trump — standing alongside Russian President Vladimir Putin — touted Putin’s vigorous denial and pivoted to complaining about the Democratic National Committee’s server and missing emails from Hillary Clinton’s personal account.”

CBS News: “Washington reacts to Trump-Putin press conference with dismay” — “Republicans and Democrats alike are dismayed by President Trump’s comments at his joint press conference with Russian leader Vladimir Putin on Monday. Mr. Trump stunned onlookers by repeatedly defending Putin during the press conference from allegations that Russia interfered in the 2016 election and casting doubt on conclusions to that effect made by U.S. intelligence agencies.”

Reuters: “Shock as Trump backs Putin on election meddling at summit” — “On a day when he faced pressure from critics, allied countries and even his own staff to take a tough line, Trump said not a single critical word about Moscow on any of the issues that have brought relations between the two powers to the lowest ebb since the Cold War. Instead, he denounced the “stupidity” of his own country’s policy, especially the decision to investigate election interference following the findings of U.S. intelligence agencies. A prosecutor announced an indictment three days ago of Russian spies for hacking into Democratic Party networks.”

Even for a president who often trades in shock and chaos, and who ignores the norms of politics and diplomacy, yesterday was something else altogether. In Helsinki, President Trump refused to support the findings of his own intelligence officials about Russian election hacking, while embracing President Putin.

The consequences of Trump turning against his intelligence community

PBS NewsHour

Published on Jul 16, 2018

When President Trump dismisses U.S. intelligence and says he takes Vladimir Putin at his word that Russia did not meddle in the 2016 election, what’s the long-lasting effect? Judy Woodruff gets analysis from former CIA officer John Sipher, who says Trump’s comments about Putin were “very troubling.”