Dear visitors: The red alert for rainstorm in Beijing has not yet been lifted. To ensure the safety of visitors, and in accordance with Beijing's flood prevention requirements, the Palace Museum will remain closed on 1 August 2023. The reopening date is contingent upon the weather. We apologize for any inconvenience caused. Kind reminder: Please refund your tickets promptly through the original ticket purchase channel. Thank you for your understanding and cooperation. If you need assistance, please call our customer service hotline at (+86) 400-950-1925. The Palace Museum 31 July 2023

Dear Visitors: The Beijing Meteorological Bureau has issued a red alert for heavy rains. From the evening of 29 July to the evening of 1 August, Beijing will experience heavy downpours, with some areas seeing extremely heavy rainfall. To ensure the safety of our visitors, the Palace Museum will be closed on 30 and 31 July. Opening hours will be determined based on weather conditions.  We sincerely apologize for the inconvenience caused.  Kind reminder: Please promptly process ticket refunds through your original ticket purchase channel. Thank you for your understanding and cooperation. If you need any assistance, please call our customer service hotline at (+86) 400-950-1925.

The Digital Cultural and Tourism Development Forum of the 2023 China Internet Civilization Conference opened in the city of Xiamen, in the southeastern province of Fujian, on July 19, 2023. At the forum, the Palace Museum launched a multilingual website and a digital platform for ancient scripts. The event was attended by Wang Xudong, a member of the Party Leadership Group of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism of China and director of the Palace Museum; Gao Anming, vice president and editor-in-chief of China International Communications Group (CICG); Tian Lixin, director-general of the Department of Language Information Management under the Ministry of Education of China; Wang Yongjian, a first-level inspector from the International Exchange and Cooperation Bureau (Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan Affairs Office) of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism of China; Zhou Junsheng, deputy director-general of the Science and Technology Education Department of the National Cultural Heritage Administration of China; and Zhu Hongwen, deputy director of the Palace Museum. Palace Museum launches multilingual website in five languages In 2021, General Secretary of the CPC Central Committee Xi Jinping highlighted the importance of promoting Chinese culture globally at the 30th group study session of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee. He stressed the importance of harnessing the influence of culture to effectively convey and promote cultural elements that embody the distinctive characteristics, spirit, and wisdom of China to a global audience. The 20th CPC National Congress also stressed the significance of accelerating the development of China’s discourse and narrative systems, strengthening international communication capabilities and better presenting Chinese culture to the world.                                                                                                                   Aligned with these principles, the Palace Museum started to develop a multilingual website in 2022, with the aim of establishing a platform that proficiently disseminates Chinese narratives and perspectives, presents a China that is credible, appealing and respectable, and introduces Chinese culture to the rest of the world. As a UNESCO World Heritage site, a globally renowned museum and a top tourist destination, the Palace Museum is a paramount symbol of traditional Chinese culture, and a gateway into China for the world. Since its launch in 2015, the English website of the museum has attracted visitors from over 200 countries and regions. The new multilingual website will provide convenient services to a wide range of language communities across the globe, thus significantly expanding the global reach of China’s rich traditional culture. Leveraging the expertise of the CICG Academy of Translation and Interpretation, the Palace Museum has upgraded its English website to a multilingual one, catering to people speaking English, French, Russian, Japanese, and Spanish. The website features tailored content for each language group. As part of this process, the Palace Museum extensively studied other renowned museums and their websites in various languages. The goal was to understand how people in different language communities use websites and what kind of content they prefer. Based on the findings, the museum designed its multilingual website to ensure a more user-friendly experience. Furthermore, it integrated the multilingual website with its “Digital Cultural Relics Library.” This interconnectivity of digital resources lays a solid foundation for the future development of additional digital functionalities of the website. The Palace Museum’s multilingual website strives to offer a user-friendly international platform that highlights the modern civilization of the Chinese nation for overseas audiences. It aims to present information in a clear and concise manner, ensuring a comprehensive showcase of Chinese cultural heritage. The homepage features four main sections: visit, explore, collection, and what’s on. These sections include visitor services, information inquiries, panoramic tours, online exhibitions, collection appreciation, culture column, and news of the Palace Museum. The website is accessible on computers and mobile devices, catering to diverse needs and preferences of overseas audiences. Digital platform unveils over 300 HD images of oracle bone inscriptions In 2019, General Secretary Xi Jinping conveyed his congratulations on the 120th anniversary of the unearthing of oracle bone inscriptions, recognizing their groundbreaking, profound impact on Chinese civilization and even global civilization. He emphasized that oracle bone inscriptions, being the earliest fully-developed writing system found in China, serve as the foundation of Chinese characters and the essence of traditional Chinese culture. He further stressed the importance of preserving these valuable inscriptions. In 2022, during his inspection of the Yin Ruins in Anyang City, Henan Province in central China, General Secretary Xi Jinping once again emphasized the inseparable link between the formation and development of the Chinese nation and the Chinese written language. The Palace Museum houses an extensive collection of ancient scripts, including oracle bone inscriptions, bronze inscriptions, pottery inscriptions, stone drum inscriptions, and seal inscriptions. Among these is an impressive trove of 21,395 oracle bones from the Yin Ruins, ranking the third largest in the world. Throughout history, many distinguished experts and scholars have worked at the Palace Museum, including Ma Heng, Tang Lan, and Luo Fuyi. These individuals made great contributions to the study of ancient scripts. In 2020, the Palace Museum became one of the first institutes to be selected for the “Project of Ancient Scripts and Inheritance and Development of Chinese Civilization” (hereafter referred to as the Ancient Scripts Project). The Palace Museum’s digital platform for ancient scripts is part of the Ancient Scripts Project. Launched in 2021, the primary objective of this initiative is to establish a data platform specifically dedicated to the museum’s collection of ancient scripts. This platform plays a crucial role in the preservation and scholarly exploration of various forms of ancient writings, including oracle bone inscriptions. It is an open big data platform that supports research on ancient writings and facilitates cultural exchange. The digital platform will release more than 300 images of oracle bones and their rubbings to the public. These materials are part of a major achievement of the Ancient Scripts Project — the volumes on the collections of Ma Heng and Xie Boshu in the Oracle Bone Inscriptions from the Ruins of Yin in the Palace Museum. Looking ahead, as digitization efforts continue, the platform will publish more extensive and diverse digital resources of ancient scripts in the future. This endeavor aims to provide publicly-accessible resources, enhance the efficiency of scientific research on ancient characters, and facilitate the application of information technology in paleography. In doing so, the Palace Museum is moving closer toward its goal of safety, vitality, digital development, and academic prestige. Digital technology bridges the past and present, and the internet helps build a global community. The Palace Museum will continue its mission to promote the rich traditional Chinese culture. Harnessing state-of-the-art digital technologies, this initiative aims to showcase to the world an array of exceptional cultural heritage that exudes unmistakable Chinese characteristics. By capturing the essence of the Chinese ethos and wisdom, it revitalizes ancient cultural heritage, imbuing it with renewed vitality in the modern era.

Exhibition on calligraphy and painting by CCICH researchers opens at Palace Museum On July 3, the Palace Museum’s Gate of Divine Prowess (Shenwu men) became the venue for an exhibition showcasing calligraphy and painting works by researchers from the China Central Institute for Culture and History (CCICH). This exhibition is a collaborative effort between the Counselors’ Office of the State Council, the CCICH, and the Palace Museum. The opening ceremony welcomed approximately 100 distinguished guests, including Feng Yuan, vice president of the CCICH; Wang Xudong, member of the Party leadership group of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism and director of the Palace Museum; Zhang Yantong, member of the Party leadership group and deputy director of the State Council Counselors’ Office; Du Haijiang, Party secretary and deputy director of the Palace Museum; and Wang Yuegong, deputy director of the Palace Museum. Also present were CCICH researchers Jin Hongjun, Ma Zhensheng, Guo Yicong, Wu Jingshan, Li Yan, Nyima Tsering, Cheng Dali, and Fan Di’an. Other distinguished participants included Li Xin, CPC branch group secretary and vice chairman of the China Calligraphers Association; Zheng Peiliang, deputy director of the Calligraphy Art Center of the China Federation of Literary and Art Circles; Zhao Dong, Party secretary and executive director of Rong Bao Zhai; officials and executives from the State Council Counselors’ Office, the CCICH, and the Palace Museum; as well as representatives from academia, art, and the media. The opening ceremony was chaired by Yang Zhixin, director of the CCICH Research Center of the State Council Counselors’ Office. Feng Yuan and Du Haijiang delivered speeches, and Fan Di’an spoke on behalf of the CCICH researchers. Zhang Yantong, representing the State Council Counselors’ Office and CCICH, presented the Palace Museum with some publications, including a special edition of Chinese Calligraphers and Painters on calligraphy and painting works by CCICH researchers and Sing Out Loud. Feng Yuan, vice president of China Central Institute for Culture and History, delivers a speech in Beijing on June 3, 2023. In his speech, Feng Yuan emphasized the significance of the exhibition as a crucial step in implementing the guiding principles of the 20th CPC National Congress and General Secretary Xi Jinping’s key speeches. Feng highlighted that General Secretary Xi Jinping’s recent speech at the symposium on cultural inheritance and development elucidated critical theoretical and practical issues related to Chinese cultural heritage and development. Feng further noted the important role of CCICH researchers in promoting Chinese modernization, preserving China’s fine traditional culture, contributing to cultural strength, and advancing the modern civilization of the Chinese nation. Since the 18th CPC National Congress, CCICH researchers have made significant progress in harnessing the power of traditional culture, strengthening national cultural identity, promoting cultural and art creation, and steering new trends of our times. Under the new situation, CCICH will intensify efforts around the theme of “building the modern civilization of the Chinese nation.” By leveraging its advantages, CCICH will remain committed to the principle of “respecting culture and learning from history” and take on new cultural missions, according to Feng. Feng expressed his confidence that CCICH would continue to conduct in-depth studies and make significant new discoveries in the field of cultural and historical research. Du Haijiang, Party secretary and deputy director of the Palace Museum, delivers a speech in Beijing on June 3, 2023. Du Haijiang, in his speech, underscored the historical responsibility of Chinese Communists to adapt Marxism to the Chinese context and the needs of the times. The exhibition exemplified the Palace Museum’s efforts to implement General Secretary Xi Jinping’s requirement of adapting basic tenets of Marxism to China’s realities and traditional culture. This is of great significance to strengthening the foundation of the Chinese path, creating new opportunities for innovation, upholding cultural identity and building a modern Chinese civilization. Du emphasized the Palace Museum’s commitment to connecting the past and present, focusing on inheritance and innovation, and engaging in extensive cooperation with various sectors of society to preserve and develop excellent traditional culture. Following the principle of “pursuing shared development and mutual benefit, drawing on each other’s strengths, and sharing resources,” the Palace Museum will seek cooperation in areas such as heritage protection, exhibition and public education, Du said. The Gangdise Mountains by Nyima Tsering (68x138cm) 2023 A piece of calligraphy work by Shen Peng (136×68cm) 2023 A love song of Pasture by He Jiaying (75×62cm) 2023 The exhibition showcased calligraphy and painting works created by 20 esteemed CCICH researchers. In addition, it featured over 100 documents, including manuscripts of creative works, academic papers, prose essays, sketches, albums, and anthologies. The calligraphy and painting works are characterized by their distinctive themes, rich meanings, and diverse forms of expression. The handwriting and manuscripts reflect the artists’ insights and humanistic values. These exhibits demonstrate the collective achievements and personal styles of CCICH calligraphers and painters. A seminar on calligraphy and painting works by CCICH researchers was also held on the same day. It was presided over by Shang Hui, director of China Artists Association Art Theory Committee, and Zhang Gongzhe vice president and deputy editor-in-chief of the Chinese Calligraphers and Painters magazine. Liu Xilin, a researcher at the National Art Museum of China and former vice director of China Artists Association Art Theory Committee, presented an academic summary. A number of experts and scholars spoke at the seminar, including Wang Yong, a researcher at the Chinese National Academy of Arts, Zheng Xiaohua, a professor at Renmin University of China who is also former secretary of the CPC branch group and secretary-general of China Calligraphers Association, Ma Xinlin, former deputy director of the Department of Calligraphy and Painting of CCICH and a CCICH researcher, and Han Shaoxuan, a postdoc at the National Museum of China. They delivered speeches on the essence of Chinese calligraphy and painting art and principles of art creation. Their discussion also shed light on the artistic styles of CCICH calligraphers and painters, as well as the inheritance and innovation of their techniques. They shared ideas and insights on the development of Chinese calligraphy and painting art in the new era.

“Auspicious Beginnings: Joint Exhibition of Artefacts from the Palace Museum and Tibet” opened at the Palace Museum, Beijing, on April 28, 2023. Distinguished guests invited to the opening ceremony included Wang Xudong, a member of the Party Leadership Group of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism and director of the Palace Museum; Zhong Tingxiong, deputy director-general of the Department of Communications of the National Ethnic Affairs Commission; Zhang Xuxia, deputy director of the General Office of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism; Lian Xiangmin, deputy secretary-general of China Tibetology Research Center; Song Xinchao, chairman of the Chinese National Committee for the International Council on Monuments and Sites and former deputy director of the National Cultural Heritage Administration; Qu Zhen, deputy secretary of the Party Leadership Group and head of the Cultural Relics Bureau of Tibet Autonomous Region; Yang Fan, Party secretary of the National Museum of China; Men Fayan, deputy director of the Cultural Palace of Nationalities, Zha Ga, director of the Museum of Tibetan Culture; Master Yanjue, president of the Buddhist Association of China; officials from the Publicity Department of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC) and the United Front Work Department of the CPC Central Committee, representatives from cultural institutions, museums and related associations in Beijing, and past and present leaders of the Palace Museum. Du Haijiang, Party secretary and deputy director of the Palace Museum, Dekyi Drolkar, deputy secretary of the Party Leadership Group and director-general of the Department of Culture of Tibet Autonomous Region, and Yang Xun, vice chairman and general manager of Glorious Sun Group and representative of the GS Charity Foundation, all delivered speeches, and Ren Wanping, deputy director of the Palace Museum, presided over the opening ceremony. The exhibition, jointly organized by the Palace Museum and the Cultural Relics Bureau of Tibet Autonomous Region and supported by the GS Charity Foundation, is held at the Meridian Gate (Wumen) Gallery and East and West Wing Gallery in the Palace Museum. It will last from April 29 to July 30, 2023. Guided by General Secretary Xi Jinping’s statement that cultural identity is the deepest form of identity and also the root and soul of ethnic unity and harmony, the exhibition chimes with the museum’s plans to build itself into a peaceful, academic, digital and dynamic institution. Resulting from the “Research on the Community of the Chinese Nation Based on Cultural Relics from the Palace Museum and Tibet” project, supported by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism from 2021 to 2023, this comprehensive exhibition displays ethnic relations in the Yuan, Ming, and Qing dynasties. The exhibition showcases the Palace Museum’s research achievements of the past five years and explores the cultural implications behind cultural relics. Tracing the history of interaction, exchange and integration between Tibet, other parts of China, and the court, the exhibition tells a compelling story of ethnic unity and progress. In his speech, Du Haijiang noted that the strong sense of community for the Chinese nation was interwoven throughout the exhibition’s collection. Using academic research, the exhibition demonstrates that Chinese culture has been an emotional bond connecting all ethnic groups in Tibet Autonomous Region, which in turn highlights the necessity and importance of fostering a strong sense of community for the Chinese nation. For thousands of years, people of all ethnic groups across the country have maintained close ties, helped each other, and regarded each other as brothers and sisters. The Forbidden City, where the Palace Museum is located, is a testament to the exchange, interaction and integration between Tibet and other parts of China, as well as the formation of the sense of community for the Chinese nation. By showcasing historical connections between cultural relics and their interactions with exhibition spaces, the exhibition vividly relives the history of exchange, interaction and integration between Tibet and other parts of the country, and shows how the sense of community for the Chinese nation has grown and developed. Dekyi Drolkar called the exhibition a significant event that implements the spirit of the 20th CPC National Congress and General Secretary Xi Jinping’s important views on cultural heritage work. The exhibition explores the extensive exchange and in-depth integration between the Tibet Autonomous Region and other regions of China, which is testament to China’s cultural diversity. As a region with abundant cultural relics, Tibet has made remarkable progress in the protection and utilization of cultural relics over the years, contributing to the long-term stability and high-quality development in the autonomous region while playing a vital role in fostering a strong sense of community for the Chinese nation. Yang Xun noted that Chinese culture is the aggregate of various ethnic cultures and serves as the shared cultural home for people of all ethnic groups. Through the study of cultural relics, “Auspicious Beginnings: Joint Exhibition of Artefacts from the Palace Museum and Tibet” tells inspiring stories of interaction, exchange, and integration between Tibet and other parts of China, and serves as a vital testimony to the joint efforts of multiple ethnic groups in building the shared cultural home for the Chinese nation. He said that Glorious Sun Group’s dedication to the preservation and inheritance of Chinese culture had helped bolster confidence in culture, and its support of this exhibition was both a necessary and essential measure to make good on this commitment. “Auspicious Beginnings: Joint Exhibition of Artefacts from the Palace Museum and Tibet” is divided into three sections: “Flower-filled Roads: Communications with Tibet,” “Flourishing Flora: Identity and Belonging,” and “Glorious Fruition: Monuments to Inter-ethnic Cultural Dialogue.” The “flowers” serve to highlight integration between Tibet and other parts of China. The exhibition features a total of 108 artifacts, including 13 items (sets) from subordinate institutions of the Cultural Relics Bureau of Tibet Autonomous Region and the Administrative Committee of Sakya Monastery, and 95 from the Palace Museum. In addition to well-known paintings and calligraphy, such as “Emperor Taizong Receiving the Tibetan Envoy” by Yan Liben from the Tang dynasty and “Stele for Danba the Emperor’s Teacher” by Zhao Mengfu from the Yuan dynasty, there are also many cultural relics that are being displayed to the public for the first time, including the Manchu Buddhist canon from the Palace Museum, a portrait of Emperor Yongle from the Potala Palace in Lhasa and a thangka depicting the first meeting between Kublai Khan and Phagspa from Sakya Monastery. These exhibits fully demonstrate the diversity and artistic charm of Tibetan cultural relics. For the needs of cultural heritage protection and according to routines, all original paintings and calligraphic works from the Song and Yuan dynasties and earlier periods in the exhibition will be replaced with replicas after one month of display.

The opening ceremony of the “Gandhara Heritage along the Silk Road: A Pakistan-China Joint Exhibition” was held at the Hall of Literary Brilliance (Wenhua dian) in the Palace Museum on March 15, 2023. Chinese Minister of Culture and Tourism Hu Heping announced the opening of the exhibition. Moin ul Haque, Pakistani ambassador to China, Fareena Mazhar, federal secretary of the National Heritage and Culture Division of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, Wang Xudong, director of the Palace Museum, and Yang Xun, vice chairman and general manager of Glorious Sun Group and chairman of Jeanswest International (Hong Kong) Limited, addressed the opening ceremony. Du Haijiang, Party secretary and deputy director of the Palace Museum, presided over the event. In addition, about 200 guests were invited to the opening ceremony of the exhibition, including Nong Rong, China’s assistant minister of foreign affairs, Du Zhanyuan, president of China International Communications Group, Xie Bing, deputy director of the National Cultural Heritage Administration, Sha Zukang, former United Nations Under-Secretary-General, Jia Deyong, secretary-general of the International Confucian Association, Zheng Xinmiao, former vice minister of culture and tourism and former director of the Palace Museum, as well as foreign diplomats to China, officials from ministries and commissions of the State Council, scholars and experts in the fields of culture, diplomacy and museum, exhibition staff, and representatives from over 30 domestic and foreign media outlets. The Gandhara art exhibition was jointly organized by the Palace Museum and the Department of Archaeology and Museums of the National Heritage and Culture Division of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, which is so far the largest of its kind held within China. The exhibition, which began preparations in 2019, underwent the test of the COVID-19 pandemic and had to postpone its opening several times. The project was included twice in the Joint Statement between the People's Republic of China and the Islamic Republic of Pakistan on February 6 and November 2, 2022, respectively, and was endorsed by the leaders of both countries. The Palace Museum worked in coordination with the Department of Archaeology and Museums of the National Heritage and Culture Division of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan and all supporting museums to ensure the successful opening of the exhibition. The aim of the exhibition is to promote mutual understanding between China and Pakistan, with a emphasis on allowing the Chinese people to grasp the profound significance of the Gandhara culture. The exhibition features a total of 203 artifacts, including 173 items from Pakistan and 30 from the Palace Museum. The Pakistani artifacts are from seven museums, namely the National Museum of Pakistan, Taxila Museum, Peshawar Museum, Islamabad Museum, Dir Museum, Swat Museum, and Hund Museum. These artifacts, dating back to the period between the 2nd century BCE and the 10th century CE, were mostly unearthed through archaeological excavations. The exhibition displays an array of well-known Gandhara stone carvings, such as early Buddhist bodhisattva sculptures, Buddha stories, Jataka tales, and stupa architectural components, alongside gold and silver ware and jewelry, fully demonstrating the diverse styles and unique charm of Gandhara art and the historical context of multicultural integration. The 30 artifacts from the Palace Museum were primarily introduced from ancient Gandhara region into the west of China's Tibet Autonomous Region via art centers along the Silk Road on the plateau, such as Swat and Kashmir. These artifacts exerted a significant influence on the gold and copper sculpture styles and art of the ancient Guge Kingdom, providing a testament to the history of extensive cultural and art exchanges between China and Pakistan. The ancient Gandhara archaeological sites are predominantly situated at the southern end of the Hindu Kush and Karakoram Mountains, which served as a vital hub connecting the South Asian subcontinent with the Silk Road. This region was a melting pot of Mediterranean, Iranian, Central Asian steppe, and Indian civilizations, where diverse cultures intersected and formed rich and colorful civilizations. The exhibition is divided into three sections: “Land of Fragrance: The Birth of Gandhara Civilization under Multiculturalism”, “The Splendor of Gandhara Art” and “The Echoes of Gandhara Art”. From the perspective of the development of ancient Gandhara civilization, the exhibition showcases the artistic charm and influence of Gandhara culture. “Gandhara Heritage along the Silk Road: A Pakistan-China Joint Exhibition” is now on at the Hall of Literary Brilliance (Wenhua dian) in the Palace Museum. It will run until June 15, 2023. The exhibition is free of charge for visitors with the Palace Museum tickets. Visitors should make a real-name reservation through the WeChat mini-program of the Palace Museum. This exhibition is supported by Jeanswest International (Hong Kong) Limited.