Forbidden Gardens facts for kids
Forbidden Gardens (simplified Chinese: 紫禁花园; traditional Chinese: 紫禁花園 ) was a unique outdoor museum in Katy, Texas. It was located near Texas State Highway 99 and Franz Road. This museum showed off amazing models and exhibits about Chinese culture and history. A businessman named Ira Poon funded and opened it in 1996. Sadly, Forbidden Gardens closed its doors in 2011.
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What Was Forbidden Gardens?
Forbidden Gardens got its name from two of its most important features. One was a huge model of the Forbidden City. This famous palace complex in China was built at a 1:20 scale. It had hundreds of tiny palace buildings and little people figurines. All of this was under a very large roof, covering about 40,000 square feet!
The museum also had beautiful outdoor areas for walking. Here, you could see even more cool exhibits.
Amazing Exhibits to Explore
Forbidden Gardens was packed with detailed displays. You could see a detailed model of a scholarly retreat called the Lodge of the Calming of the Heart.
Outside, there was a huge display of 6,000 soldiers and chariots. These were one-third scale copies of the famous Terracotta Army. The original Terracotta Army was found in the tomb of the first Emperor of Qin in China.
Inside, there was also a detailed model of a city called the Venice of China (Suzhou). Other rooms showed off historical architecture and ancient weapons.
A Unique Museum
Forbidden Gardens was special because it was privately funded. This means it was paid for by an individual, not the government. The amazing models were made in China and then shipped to Texas. It cost about $40 million to build! Only 40 of the 80 acres of land bought by Ira Poon were used for the museum.
The Terracotta Army display was also unique. Unlike the real Terracotta Army, which is kept safe indoors, these copies were outside. This made them great for taking pictures in the sunlight!
Why Did Forbidden Gardens Close?
It was announced that Forbidden Gardens would close on February 21, 2011. This was because the land was needed for the expansion of the Grand Parkway.
After the closure was announced, the Terracotta soldiers were offered for sale online. They were listed for $100 each! This news got a lot of attention. However, the soldiers were quickly taken off the sale site. The museum explained that too many people wanted them.
