ðə bˌiːbˌiːsˈiː kənsˈɛpʃən wʌz bˈeɪst ɔnðɪ aɪdˈiə ðæt pˈiːks ˈɜːli lˈaɪf ɪn tʃˈaɪnə hæd ˈɪnfluːənst ðə kɹiːˈeɪʃən ʌv ɡˈoːɹmɪŋhˌeɪst; ðˈʌs, ðə kˈæsəl ɪnðə sˈɪɹiz ɹᵻzˈɛmbəlz ðə fɚbˈɪdən sˈɪɾi ɪn beɪdʒˈɪŋ æz wˈɛl æz ðə hˈoʊli sˈɪɾi ʌv lˈɑːsə ɪn tɪbˈɛt.
The BBC conception was based on the idea that Peake's early life in China had influenced the creation of Gormenghast; thus, the castle in the series resembles the Forbidden City in Beijing as well as the holy city of Lhasa in Tibet.