Forbidden City Section 1 Questions
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What is the name of the poem Alex refers to in his prologue? How does Alex identity with him?
How does Alex describe his father’s personality?
Describe Alex’s hobby in detail.
Describe Alex’s relationship with his father. Refer to the time when it became just the two of them. What
happened to Alex’s mother?
5. What may be the real reason for Alex’s interest in soldiers, armies, and military strategy?
6. Why does Alex get a new name? What does it mean?
7. Who is Eddie? Why does Alex not like him?
8. Describe the Chinese customs in regards to food.
9. Who rules China and how did they come into their position?
10. Describe the type of control the Chinese Government has over its citizens.
11. What is hu kou? Why is it important?
Forbidden City Section 2 Questions
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April 7 is solely about Alex feeling home sick. Why do you think this was included?
What is Alex’s plan to deal with being alone? What condition does his father place upon giving permission
to Alex?
How does Alex disguise himself as a Westerner? Why does he do this?
How does Alex record what he sees without being caught by the authorities?
How does the Forbidden City differ from the rest of Beijing?
What is “Pin-yin”?
What are “hu tongs”?
Who is Hu Yau-bang? What happened to him? Why is this significant?
Who is Deng Xiao-ping?
Where does Lau-Xu take Alex? What significant events occur in this place?
What is an erhu and what does Alex say about it?
The story told in the teahouse has a moral that has led to a famous Chinese saying. What is the moral and
saying?
What does the editorial in the People’s Daily say about the students?
What are Lau Xu’s fears?
What are the students doing in Tien An Men square?
What three demands does this student have?
Why is May 4th important?
Why is Eddie surprised?
Forbidden City Section 3 Questions
Pg. 86-144: May 5-June 3
1. In Chinese history, what is the significance of “May 4th”?
2. What information does Alex get from “Hong” and “Lan”?
3. Why does Lau Xu say that Zhao Zi-yang has broken with Deng Ziao-Ping?
4. Summarize the events that take place in Tian An Men Square, as related in Alex’s journal from May 20 th.
5. What different strategy have the students started on May 13th? Why is the timing of this event significant (why
did they start this strategy when they did)?
6. According to Eddie, what kind of corruption exists in the Chinese government?
6. How does the Chinese government avoid public embarrassment?
7. After Gorbachev’s visit, who visits the hunger-strikers? What amazing thing does he do? What is the single
phrase from his speech that Alex understands? What is the rumor about this visitor and his relation with the
government (or lack of)?
8. What announcement does Li Peng make on television?
9. What is meant by the term, martial law? How would it affect the lives of ordinary people?
10. On May 21st, the PLA (People’s Liberation Army) enters the story in a major way. What important step has the
army taken?
11. Describe the tactics used by the army from May 21-31 (create a timeline describing the army’s actions each
day/event).
12. Why do some of the protest signs have little pop bottles hanging down? What is the meaning of both “Xioping” and “Deng Xio-Ping”?
13. What strategy does Alex think the government may be using?
14. What is the government announcement made on May 25? What does it mean? How have the students
responded to the government’s announcement?
15. What is the Goddess of Democracy? Describe it’s significance.
16. How are the soldiers who we see on May30-June 2, different from the soldiers earlier in the novel? How are
they the same?
17. How do journalists get videotapes out of China, despite Martial Law?
18. For what reason is Alex “grounded”? What are his duties?
19. Write a brief but accurate summary of the important events of June 3.
20. Why is the number twenty-seven significant?
21. When Alex heards about all the troop movement and the armies loyal only to their leaders, what conclusion
does he come to regarding the students?
Forbidden City Section 4 Questions
June 4 & June 6, 1989
1) What is disappointing to Lau Xu at the beginning of section 4?
2) What happens to the armoured personnel carrier which moves toward the square? What starts happening at
1:20 in the morning?
3) Where is each of the following when gunfire is heard in the square on June 4? – Alex, Ted, Eddie, Xu, the
Goddess of Democracy
4) Why did Alex and Lau Xu leave the hotel?
5) Describe the incident surrounding the murder of Lau Xu.
6) Describe what happens to Alex after Lau Xu dies. What does he do next?
7) After the soldiers have cleared much of the square, what enters?
8) How does Alex escape the square? Name the people involved.
9) What is a “Kang”?
10) Explain the use of the word “bonfire” on pg. 178.
Forbidden City Section 5 Questions
June 7 & 8, 1989
1) What is a “Ping ban che”?
2) When Alex thinks about Lau Xu’s death and the burning of bodies, what decision does he make? Why?
3) Describe in detail the plans Xin-hua, Xiao Nie, Xlao Yang & Alex make to get out of the city. (where does Alex
originally want to go, where do they decide to take him, how do they plan to get him through the streets, how
is he disguised)
4) Describe the parting between Alex and Nai-Nai.
5) How do you say “pop” in Mandarin and what is its literal meaning?
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What does Fu Xing Men Avenue look like?
How does Xin-hua compare to the beautiful women Alex sees on the billboard advertising a Gong Fu movie?
What do you know about public displays of affection in China?
What happens to the young man in the yellow T-shirt and why?
Where does Xin-hua finally decide to stop for a while?
Xin-hua tells Alex she was brought up to believe the PLA are heroes, but she no longer accepts that. Describe
three incidents in this section that confirm her new attitude.
12) What is there about Xin-hua that Alex considers heroic? How does she compare with girls he knows at home?
What was the term of endearment that the Chinese used for the PLA?
13) On page 232, Alex makes a comparison between his friends living back in Canada and life in Beijing. Explain.
Forbidden City Section 6 Questions
June 9-28, 1989
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Why is Alex’s idea to go to the Friendship Hotel not a good one?
Describe the situation when Alex and Xin-hua are stopped by the 4 PLA men. What satisfies the first
soldier and how do they get away?
What event happens that makes Alex scream inside his skull?
The disguise that is supposed to help Alex, ends up being a downfall. Explain why
Why are the PLA stopping so many people?
Instead of going to the Embassy, another plan is devised. Describe this plan.
What happens to Xi-hua and Alex after the PLA soldiers at the roadblock stop them (this is their 2 nd major
stop by the PLA)?
How does June 9 end?
What happened to Alex’s father on June 4th?
After the government shoots someone, what do they do (think of their families)?
Who is Wang Ai-min? What significant action did he take? What became of him after the incident?
By referring to Alex’s words and actions, show that his attitude to war has changed.
YOU DO NOT NEED TO COPY THE QUOTE – JUST ANSWER THE FOLLOWING QUESTIONS:
“I hadn’t been able to do anything to help. I hadn’t been able to stop anything. I had known two
real heroes in my life and they were both dead. I had seen another on TV today and he was dead,
too. Not one of them had worn a uniform.” (274). Y
What understanding does Alex exhibit in the previous quotation about heroism? Who are the heroes he is
referring to? Recount how they died.
In what sense is the title of the novel a good one?