Texas' Little-Known 'Forbidden City'
Houston Suburb Houses Replica of Chinese Emperor's Burial Tomb
Tourists stand outside a replica of Emperor Qin Shi Huangdi's tomb at the Forbidden Gardens in Katy, Texas. Rows of thousands of terra cotta soldiers line the pit. © Greg Smith/CORBIS SABA hide caption
Close-Up of the Terra Cotta SoldiersThe Houston suburb of Katy, Texas, is home to an exotic but little-known attraction: the country's only replica of China's Forbidden City. Known as the Forbidden Gardens, the attraction opened in 1996. It features a huge burial pit -- the size of several football fields and lined with rows of clay soldiers -- that represents the tomb of Emperor Qin Shi Huangdi, who ruled the Forbidden City during the 3rd century B.C. Sarah Richards reports.