Submitted by Mary Harrsch on Sun, 10/18/2009 - 19:01
Over six hundred years after the original Forbidden City was constructed in China, visitors were invited to pass through the vermillion Meridian Gate of a virtual Forbidden City, a joint project of the Palace Museum and IBM. The new virtual world not only provides visitors with the opportunity to marvel at the beautifully rendered architecture but examine cultural relics, observe and even engage in activities enjoyed by emperors and their families and learn more about the history of the Ming and Qing imperial dynasties.
I have not yet made my first visit to the real Forbidden City (it's definitely on my list of planned heritage site visits, though). But I was excited to get a virtual preview, especially from the comfort of my computer without enduring hours in the cramped seat of a 757.
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I tried every staircase but each time the avatar was prevented from mounting the dais. I smiled when I discovered this as the developers must have included this behavior to maintain the sanctity of the throne even in this virtual palace. After all, only an emperor with the mandate of heaven was supposed to sit upon it.
Over six hundred years after the original 
