There’s a reason why the Forbidden City has hundreds of cats

Cats have accompanied the Forbidden City for more than 600 years, from the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) to the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911). They were once the favorite pets of emperors such as Chu Nguyen Chuong, Emperor Tuyen Duc once studied and drew cats, Emperor Gia Tinh gave them titles, buried cats with golden coffins, Qianlong or Empress Dowager Cixi raised cats in her private palace.

Many cats are named, fed separately, and even set up their own management department in the royal court. In ancient Chinese culture, cats are associated with awakening, warding off evil, and protecting sacred spaces, allowing them to be treated gently instead of being chased away like stray animals. Today, most of the imperial cats in the Forbidden City are believed to be direct descendants of ancient royal cats, in addition to stray cats acquired during conservation.

After the fall of the Qing Dynasty in 1912, the palace was no longer a royal residence, but cats had multiplied for many generations and there was no reason to exterminate or relocate. When the Forbidden City became a museum in 1925, they automatically became “old residents”, maintaining a continuous flow between the imperial past and the modern heritage space.

In an architectural complex almost frozen in time, cats are the only class of creatures that continue to live without interruption. The most important factor in keeping cats in large numbers is the control of rats and rodents, and the protection of treasure troves of precious antiques made from wood, paper, silk and books.

The Forbidden City has more than 9,000 rooms with thousands of antique treasures, rare documents and food warehouses, an ideal environment for rats to breed, damage wooden structures and carry pathogens in a closed environment.

Before modern methods to kill rats, cats were the most effective and safest solution. They are raised systematically, not simply as pets but as “guards”, operating at night after closing time of the Palace Museum. In 1970, the Forbidden City had a serious rat infestation and was clearly controlled by a team of cat guards.

In addition to historical and functional factors, the environment of the Forbidden City accidentally becomes an ideal living place for cats. The large complex with its many courtyards, porches and corridors creates countless shelter spaces. The area has almost no traffic, little noise, a relatively stable food source from rats and care from staff.

Beijing’s winters are harsh down to sub-zero degrees, but the thick city walls and bricks help retain heat well, plus the urban heat island effect makes the city center’s temperature higher than the suburbs. The walls, lapis lazuli roofs and hidden corners of the palace become natural shelters for cats.

Currently, the Palace Museum manages about 150-200 cats, considering them a part of living heritage. Since 2009, the museum has implemented a TNR program (capture, sterilize, vaccinate, release) to control the number of cats while still maintaining its role in protecting heritage. During the period 2009-2013, the cost of this program amounted to more than 18,000 yuan (63 million VND) for 181 cats.

Cats are provided with food, vitamins, health care, clean shelter and basic information such as name and gender are recorded. Visitors are advised not to hold cats, not force them to take photos, and not arbitrarily feed them to avoid affecting their health. Museum staff often remind “cats are the owners of the Forbidden City, humans are just guests”.

Cats often appear in quiet areas with few tourists, such as around Canh Van Mon or the East and West working blocks.

The “king cats” not only protect heritage but also bring significant cultural and tourist value. Chubby orange cat Papa became the star of the year, with a sitting height of about 30 cm, used as a humorous unit of measurement for artifacts on the occasion of the museum’s 100th anniversary. Other children such as Luban or Baidian’er are also famous on the social network Weibo.

In 2024, the children’s play The Cat God in the Forbidden City retelling the history of the Forbidden City through a cat’s perspective was toured, targeting young audiences. Cat images also appear widely on souvenir products such as notebooks, keychains, and cat statues, with a sales volume of about 16,000 products per month.

This approach contributes to creating a vivid image of the Forbidden City, closer to tourists, especially animal lovers, while increasing tourism attraction and revenue from sightseeing.