Had it been built, Ludwig's Chinese Palace would probably be one of the most popular tourist attractions in Austria. He often went on midnight sleigh rides into Austria, through the magnificent Tyrolian Alps. A spot he was particularly fond of was the Plansee, a quiet alpine lake surrounded by spectacular mountains. It was here that he planned to build a palace modelled on the Winter Palace in Beijing (or Peking as it was known as then), albeit a smaller version. Here he would dress as a Chinese Emperor, and his servants would have worn Chinese court dress. It appears that, at the end of his life, Ludwig's obsession with Absolute Monarchy stretched into the world of the Chinese god-emperors. Only a handful of plans for this palace survive, as it was concieved shortly before his death.

Beijing comes to Austria. The fifth castle, a Chinese Palace. Julius Hofmann's design of 1886.

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