Click on the player below to listen to the podcast talk or read CW's live blogging with Geremie Barme: Book Launch: Forbidden City.

Click here to save part one mp3 to your computer. Part two is here. Audio courtesy of the Glamour Bar. Sound recording by Tom Lee Pettersen at Meta Music Media.

Part One

Part Two

2:15 | Double Duty I have to run upstairs for the Nury Vittachi session now. Please listen to the podcast to hear another reading from Barme and for questions from the audience!

2:12 | Nomadic Reign Qing emperors were constantly moving around as they ruled. From the Forbidden City, to lake palaces, summer palaces to the hunting grounds and summer resort.

2:06 | Then and Now The summer palace, yiheyuan, as we all know, was built for the Empress Dowager Cixi. It remains as a popular tourist spot today. Emperor Kangxi's, Garden of Delightful Spring, however, is now a series of students dorms for Peking University.

2:00 | Museum Hopping What is the nature of museum? At the Palace Museum, you can go through the staterooms and gawk in awe at the impressive Chinoiserie everywhere. "But you don't see stables or dining rooms, which are a bit of a disappointment," says Husk. Where are the domestic aspects of life in the palace? Why can't you go into the kitchen? Why would you want to see the room that Queen Elizabeth, "who has the taste of an IKEA catalogue", redecorated for the sixth time? The audience laughs.

1:52 | Most Important Meal of the Day What did the emperor do during his day? We know how he started it, with a hearty (and we mean haerty) breakfast at 6am. Sprawled across at least four tables, sustenance included swallow's nest, meats and cakes, according to the legder of the emperial kitchen. 6am. Of course, there was a grand procession that led the emperor to his dining chamber, headed by a eunuchs holding a golden spittoon at front of procession.

1: 49| Shanghai vs Beijing "The physicality of the Forbidden City excludes other buildings," comments Husk. However, Shanghai somehow manages to create "sudden monstrosities" and the ugly and beautiful is able to sit side-by-side. This is the different sensibilities of work, and this symbolic physical presence impacts on how it relates to the city.

1:46 | Name-Calling Instead be being called the "gu" (past) gong, which held a notion of feudal nostalgia, it was suggested that the structure be called "feigong", abandoned palace.

1:41 | Forbidden Java Beijing has turned into a mismarriage of traditions, comments Huss: "It's an ugly place." Yet the Forbidden City provides moving presence at the center of the city. Only recently has "the Forbidden City" been registered as a trademark as the government attempts to keep this brand pure (hence, bye bye Starbucks. This architectural masterpiece has long been seen as a sign of feudalistic backwardness and it's only recently that it's become an international brand.

1:36 | Oh, Behave This book tries to indicate dynastic Chinese habits of the past of traditional rulership and imperial rule and as a result, how the post revolution leadership Chinese behaved. Barme's tome tries to weave a convincing story, but does not stress that Mao is the equivalent of a modern emperor.

1:33| Post-Read After Barme takes a break from reading, Huss steps in to comment. This book is "not just history as a physical space. It's also about orientation and functions," he says. "It's a psychological history. It shows how it's instrumental in the building of Chinese identity." "You're too kind," says Barme. "And I'm not being paid very much...," Huss banters. Apparently, his "salary" for this session is just two coffees.

1:29 | Off the Pages Barme eases us into this session with readings from his book, The Forbidden City. With each sentence, we hear of the the immortal empire, the vermilion walls, and even Empress Dowager Cixi. As a part of the series called "Wonders of the World," created by the professor of classics at Cambridge University, this book explores not only the social and political structure within the chambers, but also the historical dimensions of life behind the walls.

1:23 | M Says... Michelle Garnaut taps the microphone and begins her usual housekeeping reminders. "Phones off," she says. "Drills off...we tried that yesterday, nobody listened." Grr. She introduces Jonathan Huss, who will moderate this session. Having met 18 years ago, "we've both retained our looks and glamour," says Huss.

1:17 | Patience Still waiting for the session to begin. The crowd's chattering is getting louder and louder. I spot a little blond fan, a year old or so. Oh. She' crawling toward me...why, hello there...It's nice to see the Festival helping to cultivate little literary masters of the future. What's going on? Are we starting yet?

1:04 | He's the Man Professor Geremie Barme, having also just spoken at the Beijing Literary Festival, will be introducing the Forbidden City, taking us through the magnificent structure and also through time as he continues to discuss Beijing from the imperial times leading up to the Olympics. Barme has worked on several film projects, and is a joint editor of China Heritage Quarterly.

12:58 | Pollution Really. This noisy construction business is getting out of control. We know that "Asia's No. 1 Curve" has now been destroyed but couple that with the construction for the new LAN, it's really a bit too much. Especially when we're trying to listen to authors speak. And blog about it. Aiya.