Inside Beijing’s Forbidden City

When historic preservationist Henry Ng first opened the doors to some of the most intimate spaces of one of China’s greatest emperors six years ago, it was as if he was looking at a forgotten chapter of the country’s rich imperial history. But what had once been the jewel of the Forbidden City was in shambles — full of faded embroideries, peeling paintings and chipped woodwork buried beneath inches of dust that had been collecting for eight decades.

“Your heart goes out because it’s in such disrepair,” Ng said. “But you also know what’s possible and that you could bring it back, so you’re excited about the opportunity. You know the end result can be something spectacular.”

The fact that this building — known as Juan’qin’zhai, or Studio of Exhaustion from Diligent Service — has been almost completely restored to its original state is nothing short of “miraculous,” Ng said as he gave TODAY’s Matt Lauer the exclusive first look at the emperor’s inner sanctum. When the Studio opens in November, it will mark the first time the public has ever had access to the Qianlong Garden, and offers a taste of what is to come when all 27 buildings of the garden are restored by 2018.