The series of teaching materials Explore the Forbidden City, Learn Chinese is divided into two volumes: Explore the Forbidden City, Learn Chinese I and Explore the Forbidden City, Learn Chinese II. Each consists of three teaching sections, Language Learning, Cultural Knowledge and Manual Experience, and focuses on the history of the Forbidden City, the emperors of the Forbidden City, the palaces of the Forbidden City, the buildings of the Forbidden City, the sacred beasts and animals in the Forbidden City, the treasures in the Forbidden City, and the paintings and drawings in the Forbidden City, teaching second language learners the cultural knowledge of the Forbidden City, and focusing on training learners’ oral expression, while taking into account the development of reading and writing skills. The series extends from the core language elements of Chinese characters to phrases, sentences and passages, and learners can also make handicrafts related to cultural themes while learning about the culture of the Forbidden City, thus realizing the integrity of “language-culture-interaction” in Chinese language teaching and learning.

Explore the Forbidden City, Learn Chinese can be used for foreign students in academic courses, short-term courses and credit courses on language and culture in overseas Confucius Institutes. The first volume is suitable for learners of Chinese language level above HSK level 3, and the second volume is suitable for learners of Chinese language level above HSK level 4.Each cultural unit includes such three teaching sections as Language Learning, Cultural Knowledge, and Manual Experience. The Language Learning section has two courses with 16 lessons in total spending 32 class hours. The Cultural Knowledge section is accompanied with teacher’s interpreting videos. The Manual Experience section is a practical part of the cultural teaching method, which can be arranged by the teacher according to the actual teaching situation.