Forbidden Gardens ( ) was an outdoor museum of

Chinese Chinese can refer to: * Something related to China * Chinese people, people of Chinese nationality, citizenship, and/or ethnicity **''Zhonghua minzu'', the supra-ethnic concept of the Chinese nation ** List of ethnic groups in China, people of va ...

culture and history located on Texas Highway 99 and Franz Road in northern Katy,

Greater Houston Greater Houston, designated by the United States Office of Management and Budget as Houston–The Woodlands–Sugar Land, is the fifth-most populous metropolitan statistical area in the United States, encompassing nine counties along the Gulf Co ...

Texas Texas (, ; Spanish language, Spanish: ''Texas'', ''Tejas'') is a state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. At 268,596 square miles (695,662 km2), and with more than 29.1 million residents in 2 ...

, United States. The museum was funded and opened by businessman Ira Poon in 1996. Forbidden Gardens closed its doors in 2011.

Features and naming

Forbidden Gardens took its name from two of its major features: A 1:20

scale model A scale model is a physical model which is geometrically similar to an object (known as the prototype). Scale models are generally smaller than large prototypes such as vehicles, buildings, or people; but may be larger than small prototypes ...

of the

Forbidden City The Forbidden City () is a Chinese palace, palace complex in Dongcheng District, Beijing, China, at the center of the Imperial City, Beijing, Imperial City of Beijing. It is surrounded by numerous opulent imperial gardens and temples includ ...

with hundreds of palace buildings and figurines under a pavilion, and the small grounds for walking and viewing additional exhibits. Additional exhibits included a detailed panorama of a scholarly retreat called Lodge of the Calming of the Heart, an outdoor array of 6,000 one-third scale soldiers and chariots from the

Terracotta Army The Terracotta Army is a collection of terracotta sculptures depicting the armies of Qin Shi Huang, the first emperor of China. It is a form of funerary art buried with the emperor in 210–209 BCE with the purpose of protecting the emperor in ...

tomb of the first Emperor of Qin, an indoor panorama of a city called the Venice of China (

Suzhou Suzhou (; ; Suzhounese: ''sou¹ tseu¹'' , Mandarin: ), alternately romanized as Soochow, is a major city in southern Jiangsu province, East China. Suzhou is the largest city in Jiangsu, and a major economic center and focal point of trade ...

), and rooms exhibiting details of historical architecture and weapons. Forbidden Gardens was unusual in that it was privately funded. It displayed extensive models made and shipped from China. It originally cost $40 million to construct and only 40 of the Poon bought were used. The Terracotta Army display was unique in that the statues were exposed to direct sunlight, unlike the sheltered originals, enabling excellent photography conditions.

Closure

It was announced that the Forbidden Gardens would close its doors on February 21, 2011, to make way for the

Grand Parkway State Highway 99 (SH 99), also known as the Grand Parkway, is a ring road in the U.S. state of Texas. Its first section opened on August 31, 1994. When the route is completed, it will be the longest beltway in the U.S., the world's seventh-long ...

expansion. Terracotta soldiers were offered on Craigslist for $100 a soldier, sparking media attention. The warriors were pulled off Craigslist on February 9, with a note explaining that excess demand made it necessary.Overwhelmed by Popular Demand, Forbidden Gardens Gives Up on Craigslist for Its Great Qin Dynasty Liquidation Sale
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External links

Forbidden Gardens websiteReview of visiting the Forbidden Gardens in 2009

1995 news article when it opened, and reference to publicity-shy ownerThe Grand Parkway Association
*Snyder, Mike.

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Houston Chronicle The ''Houston Chronicle'' is the largest daily newspaper in Houston, Texas, United States. , it is the third-largest newspaper by Sunday circulation in the United States, behind only ''The New York Times'' and the ''Los Angeles Times''. With it ...

''. January 19, 2011.

References

{{Chinese American museums in the United States Chinese-American culture in Texas Gardens in Texas Katy, Texas Miniature parks Museums in Harris County, Texas Ethnic museums in Texas Chinese-American museums Defunct museums in Texas 1996 establishments in Texas 2011 disestablishments in Texas