In Katy, Texas, a reclusive Hong Kong millionaire has built a miniature replica of China's Forbidden City. Forbidden Gardens, which cost $40 million, is progressively deteriorating due to vandalism and the scorching Texas weather.Forbidden Gardens was created in the 1990s by Taiwanese-American real estate developer Wang Zuo-yu, who bought land near Katy, Texas with the purpose of replicating Beijing's Forbidden City.
The replica's construction began in 1992 and was finished in 1997.The Forbidden City is a sprawling complex of palaces and gardens in the heart of Beijing, China. It was the Ming and Qing Dynasties' imperial palace and is now a museum.
The Forbidden City replica in Katy, Texas is around one-sixth the size of the real and spans 40 acres. It comprises reconstructions of some of the Forbidden City's most famous structures, including the Hall of Supreme Harmony, the Hall of Central Harmony, and the Palace of Earthly Tranquilly.Due to vandalism and the severe Texas weather, the replica of the Forbidden City in Katy, Texas has been slowly decaying since its completion.
Several buildings' roofs have collapsed, and the plaster on the walls is cracked and peeling.Despite its condition of ruin, the Forbidden City model in Katy, Texas remains a popular tourist attraction. Every year, around 200,000 people visit.