Background

The Forbidden City is the most well-preserved and largest imperial palace complex in the world today. Traces of different dynasties can be interpreted from whatever perspective in this massive composite of Chinese history and culture, which makes it an ideal entry point for understanding traditional Chinese culture in a light-hearted way.

Organized by the Design and Cultural Studies Workshop with the sponsorship from The Robert H. N. Ho Family Foundation, ‘We All Live in the Forbidden City’ is an education programme in Hong Kong that undertakes to explore and promote the modern-day significance of traditional culture. Since 2008, the programme aims at planting the seeds of cultural heritage among children, teenagers and the public and fosters a new generation of cultivated spirits and creative minds, through a wide range of publishing projects, education activities and exhibitions.

In 2011, an independent education team was set up under the education programme, pro-actively expanding on education by developing more thematic activities of diverse interests, workshops, publication projects and exhibitions. The programme has awarded a number of publication, design and education prizes. The programme is not only designed for primary students but is taking further initiatives to cater to secondary and tertiary learners, both at home and abroad. We also team up with different organisations in our endeavours to promote traditional Chinese culture.

2008	‘We All Live in the Forbidden City’ Education Programme officially launches.
2010	Release of the We All Live in the Forbidden City book series, published on the occasion of the exhibition of the same title.
2011	Education workshops are held at primary schools across the territory; an independent education team is formed.
2012	Family workshops are held at the Hong Kong Heritage Discovery Centre; Launch of the ‘We All Live in the Forbidden City’ website.
2013	Release of the simplified Chinese edition of the We All Live in the Forbidden City book series. ‘The Emperor’s Wardrobe’ education workshops are held in association with the Hong Kong Museum of History. The exhibitions, Bon Bowl and Ping Shan Bon Bowl, and tie-in workshops are held in association with the Hong Kong Public Libraries. Education workshops are held in Beijing, Guangzhou and Taiwan. Launch of The Forbidden City Children’s Programme in Mainland China.
2014	Release of the English edition of the We All Live in the Forbidden City book series in October. Launched the ‘Along the Forbidden City’Education Programme at secondary schools in Hong Kong. Collaborating with the Hong Kong Museum of History, launched a special event ‘Fun Fair at Museum Street’for International Museum Day 2014.
2015	Launched ‘Mali Mali Palace’ touring exhibition. Collaborating with Lianhe Zaobao in Singapore, launched a newspaper column related to Chinese culture at its youth magazine, Thumbs Up.