Guests poured into the Field Museum Friday March 12th for “A Night in the Forbidden City” celebrating the Opening Night exhibition Splendors of China’s Forbidden City: The Glorious Reign of Emperor Quanlong. Guests enjoyed libations, Asian cuisine, and entertainment and were the first to peruse the collection of about 400 treasures of the Forbidden City, not to mention an Asian-inspired raffle. The field associates, a group of 250 young professionals who promote awareness of The Field Museum’s collections, research and public programs, hosted the glorious event .

Splendors of China’s Forbidden City: The Glorious Reign of Emperor Qianlong will debuted at the Field Museum Friday, March 12 and be on view until Sunday September 12, 2004.

The Glorious exhibition will showcase the Chinese Empire at its height and the man who made it bloom, Emperor Quianlong (pictured right). During the eighteenth century, China was the largest empire the world has ever seen stretching from the Siberian forests to the South China Sea and from the mountains of Tajikistan to the island of Sakhalin, north of Japan. Resources included gold and jade, silk and rice, livestock, land, art that made the empire richer than all the countries in Europe combined. 300 million people. Run by one man for sixty years. Come tour the Forbidden City, view nearly 400 treasures (many of which have never been seen outside the palace museum or in the U.S.). Learn about Qialong and the secrets behind closed doors of the Chinese Empire at the Field Museum exhibition Splendors of China’s Forbidden City: The Glorious Reign of Emperor Qianlong.