To maintain authenticity and integrity of culture relics within the Palace Museum and ensure a smooth process for ticket checking and entry, the Palace Museum plans to further reduce visitor entry times in the principles of limiting the maximum number of visitors and implementing online reservation on a staggered manner, so as to alleviate crowds during peak hours and improve the visitor experience. Starting from November 1, 2023, the Palace Museum will improve its time-slot reservation policy and ticket inspection measures. Detailed information is as follows: 1. Ticket booking: Reservations for the Palace Museum are divided into morning and afternoon sessions each day. Please book your visit for the desired timeslot through the Palace Museum’s official WeChat mini program. 2. Ticket inspection: Visitors who have reserved the morning timeslot must have their tickets checked no later than 12:00 on the day of entry. Visitors who have reserved the afternoon timeslot can have their tickets checked no earlier than 11:00 on the day of entry. Please ensure you arrive at the museum at your reserved timeslot to guarantee your ticket is inspected and ensure a pleasant tour. 3. For further details on “Ticket Information,” please refer to our official ticket and exhibition reservation channel: The Palace Museum’s official WeChat mini program. Alternatively, you can contact the customer service hotline on 400-950-1925. The Palace Museum October 24, 2023

On January 6, 2025, an exhibition titled “Jade from the Kunlun Mountains: Special Exhibition on Hetian Jade Culture in the Qing Court” opened at the Palace Museum. The opening ceremony of the exhibition was attended by Wang Xudong, a member of the CPC Leadership Group of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism (MCT) and director of the Palace Museum; Liu Yuzhu, chairman of the China Cultural Relics Protection Foundation; Du Haijiang, Party secretary and deputy director of the Palace Museum; Wei Ji, deputy director general of the Department of Finance of the MCT; Peng Shituan, a second-level inspector of the General Office of the MCT; and Li Jun, a member of the CPC Leadership Group of the Department of Culture and Tourism of Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region and Party secretary and director of the Cultural Heritage Administration of Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. Other attendees of the opening ceremony, hosted by Ren Wanping, deputy director of the Palace Museum, included officials from departments and agencies under the MCT and the National Cultural Heritage Administration, as well as representatives from related societies, associations, and foundations. The exhibition is organized by the Palace Museum, co-organized by the Cultural Heritage Administration of Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, and enjoys full support from the Hong Kong Jockey Club and exclusive sponsorship from the Institute of Philanthropy. In his speech at the opening ceremony, Du Haijiang highlighted the important remarks given by General Secretary Xi Jinping at the national conference regarding the commendation of ethnic unity and progress role models on September 27, 2024. Calling China, with a civilization spanning over 5,000 years, a great nation, Xi said that all ethnic groups had written the glorious history of China, fostered a rich Chinese culture, and nurtured a great national spirit. Xi also said that the intermingling of all ethnic groups had laid the foundation for the formation and development of a community for the Chinese nation. The multi-ethnic region of Xinjiang has been an inseparable part of Chinese territory since ancient times, and its residents from various ethnic groups are important members of the great Chinese family, bound by blood ties and shared destiny. This exhibition, using jade as a medium, displays representative Hetian jade artifacts in the Qing court. It presents visitors a unique entry point into jade culture while also serving as a crucial pathway to navigate both Xinjiang and China’s stories, further forging a strong sense of community for the Chinese nation. Hetian jade is not only the central pillar of Chinese jade culture but also testament to the nation’s history and traditional culture. Hetian (or Hotan) in Xinjiang has been China’s most important source of jade since the Neolithic period. In 1761, the 26th year of the Qianlong Emperor’s reign, the implementation of the tribute jade system elevated Hetian jade to its highest historical prominence. This period saw unprecedented growth and prosperity in both the crafting and use of Hetian jade, known as the third peak in the development of Chinese jade art. The exhibition title “Jade from the Kunlun Mountains” is taken from the ancient Chinese language primer Thousand-Character Classic. The majestic Kunlun Mountains, with their endless snow-covered peaks and torrential rivers, are the source of Hetian jade. The Hetian jade of the Qing court has endured nature’s trials and artisans’ careful crafting, embodying the diligence and wisdom of the working people and representing a significant part of Chinese jade culture. The Palace Museum organized this special exhibition to showcase the enduring brilliance of Hetian jade culture. The exhibition features 258 representative Hetian jade masterpieces from the Qing court, divided into five sections: “Origins of Jade,” “Ritual Jade,” “Elegance of Jade,” “Ingeniously-crafted Jade,” and “Jade Ornaments and Dining Wares.” It aims to make the Hetian jade culture of the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911) more accessible, showcase exchanges and interactions among ethnic groups during the Qing period, and promote China’s fine traditional culture. As a treasure house of the 5,000-year-old Chinese civilization, the Palace Museum stands as both a repository of China’s finest cultural traditions and a testament to centuries of cultural exchange and integration. Through displaying Hetian jade culture, this exhibition offers visitors a unique insight into how jade served as a bridge for cultural exchange and mutual learning throughout Chinese civilization. Highlights of the exhibition include the Hetian jade pixie (a legendary beast in Chinese mythology) from the Han Dynasty (202 BC-220 AD), seal of the “Great Qing Receiving the Mandate” — dubbed the top of Emperor Qianlong’s 25 treasures, a jade ornament carved with the Emperor Qianlong’s poems about jade mining, and Hindustan jade pieces reflecting interactions between the Qing Dynasty and foreign regions. Among the exhibits, 130 precious artifacts are on show for the first time. The exhibition will be accompanied by a published picture catalog, and an online exhibition will be launched simultaneously on the Palace Museum’s official website. Updates about the exhibition will be shared across all the museum’s social media platforms, including Weibo, WeChat, and video channels. The museum will also host a series of public lectures to enhance visitors’ understanding of the exhibition. For upcoming lecture schedules, follow the “Palace Museum Publicity and Education” account on WeChat. The exhibition is located at the Hall for Abstinence (Zhai gong) of the Palace Museum and is open to the public from January 7, 2025 to January 4, 2026. The exhibition is included in general admission and requires no additional booking.

On December 14, the exhibition “Vanguard of Civilization: Jade Artifacts from the Lingjiatan Culture” opened at the Hall of Literary Brilliance (Wenhua dian) of the Palace Museum. The exhibition is jointly hosted by the Palace Museum, Anhui Provincial Department of Culture and Tourism (Anhui Provincial Cultural Relics Bureau), and Ma’anshan Municipal People’s Government. It is co-organized by the Anhui Provincial Institute of Cultural Relics and Archaeology, Anhui Museum, Hanshan County People’s Government, Hanshan County Lingjiatan Site Administration, and Hanshan Museum, with full support from the Hong Kong Jockey Club and exclusive sponsorship from the Institute of Philanthropy. The opening ceremony was attended by Wang Xudong, a member of the CPC Leadership Group of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism and director of the Palace Museum, Liu Yuzhu, chairman of the China Cultural Relics Protection Foundation, Qiao Yunfei, a member of the CPC Leadership Group and deputy director of the National Cultural Heritage Administration, Song Xinchao, chairman of ICOMOS China, Yan Yalin, director of the Archaeology Department of the National Cultural Heritage Administration, Yuan Fang, secretary of the CPC Ma’anshan Municipal Committee, Du Haijiang, Party secretary and deputy director of the Palace Museum, Fan Ronghui, executive deputy director of the Publicity Department of the CPC Anhui Provincial Committee, and He Changfeng, a first-level inspector of Anhui Provincial Department of Culture and Tourism, as well as officials from the Social Development Department of the National Development and Reform Commission, departments and agencies under the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, and experts and scholars in the field. The ceremony was presided over by Ren Wanping, deputy director of the Palace Museum. In his speech, Du Haijiang highlighted General Secretary Xi Jinping’s important statements that cultural relics and cultural heritage carry the genes and lifeblood of the Chinese nation, and they are non-renewable and irreplaceable civilizational resources. The Palace Museum, as a guardian of Chinese civilization, houses 104 jade and stone artifacts unearthed from the Lingjiatan site. This exhibition, jointly organized with Anhui Provincial Department of Culture and Tourism and Ma’anshan Municipal People’s Government, is the first time that the excavated jade artifacts from the Lingjiatan site over the years have been displayed together in their entirety. Du expressed the Palace Museum’s steadfast commitment to its mission of “authentically and comprehensively protecting and responsibly passing on the outstanding traditional Chinese culture embodied by the Palace Museum,” adding that it will continue to use exhibitions to better tell the story of China in the new era. Yuan Fang emphasized that Ma’anshan is a city where ancient and modern civilizations shine together, with the Lingjiatan Culture being especially remarkable. Noting that General Secretary Xi Jinping has placed great importance on protecting and inheriting cultural heritage, Yuan commented on remarks made by Xi during his visit to Anhui in October this year. Xi called for the further integration of culture and tourism, the development of cultural tourism into a pillar industry, the strengthening of cultural heritage protection and inheritance, and the transformative and innovative development of fine traditional culture. This exhibition, Yuan said, supports the implementation of the principle of “protection first, strengthened management, value discovery, effective utilization, and breathing new life into cultural relics”, which will ensure that the ancient Lingjiatan Culture blooms anew with vitality and splendor in the new era. The Lingjiatan site, located in Hanshan County, Ma’anshan City, Anhui Province, dates back approximately 5,800 to 5,300 years and is one of the landmark Neolithic sites in China. As a crucial piece of evidence for over 5,000 years of Chinese civilization, the Lingjiatan site serves as a crucial relic, key chronological marker, and critical region in the formation of civilization in the lower reaches of the Yangtze River, providing tangible evidence for research into the origins, formation, and development of Chinese civilization. Since its discovery in 1985, the site has yielded numerous important jade artifacts. As the largest and best-preserved settlement site of its era in the lower reaches of the Yangtze River, it stands alongside the Hongshan Culture and Liangzhu Culture as one of the “Three Great Jade Culture Centers” of prehistoric China. As the 40th anniversary of the discovery of the Lingjiatan site approaches, the exhibition presents 399 pieces (sets) of important artifacts from five museums and archaeological institutions across China. The exhibits include jade, pottery, and bone artifacts. Among the highlights are an engraved jade plate which is rich in philosophical implications, a double-ringed jade bi (a circular Chinese jade artifact) that inspired the design of the medals for the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics, and a jade tortoise representing nature worship in the Neolithic Age. Many of these invaluable artifacts are on public display for the first time. As a significant Neolithic archaeological achievement profoundly influenced by jade culture, the Lingjiatan site offers new perspectives on exploring the origins of Chinese civilization. This exhibition, which brings together important artifacts from the Lingjiatan site with both longstanding and recent archaeological findings, presents the “Lingjiatan chapter” of China’s civilizational origin story to the world. The exhibition, themed “Vanguard of Civilization,” is divided into six sections: “Seeking the Heavens and Exploring Origins,” “Axes of Power and Prestige,” “Ancient Hearths of Civilization,” “Divine Shamans and Royal Authority,” “Masterpieces of Craftsmanship,” and “United in Brilliance.” Through an in-depth exploration of the site’s abundant archaeological findings, advanced jade craftsmanship, mysterious religious beliefs, and dynamic cultural exchanges, the exhibition aims to bolster confidence and pride in Chinese civilization and illustrate its continuity, innovation, unity, inclusiveness, and peaceful nature. The exhibition that opened on December 15 this year at the Hall of Literary Brilliance (Wenhua dian) of the Palace Museum will run until March 16, 2025.

The ICOM-ITC 2024 October Training Workshop begins during this beautiful golden autumn season in Jiangxi Province on October 24th. With the theme of Sustainable Museum Management: Local Challenges and Best Practices, the training workshop focuses on topics including sustainable development, strategic planning, education and sustainability, and museums’ response to climate changes. It is organized by the International Council of Museums (ICOM), the Chinese Museums Association and the Palace Museum, and co-organized by the Jiangxi Provincial Department of Culture and Tourism, and the Jingdezhen Municipal People’s Government, and supported by the Jiangxi Provincial Museum and the Jingdezhen China Ceramics Museum. Leaders and lecturers who attended the opening ceremony included Ding Xinquan, member of the party group and deputy director of the Jiangxi Provincial Department of Culture and Tourism and director of the Jiangxi Provincial Cultural Heritage Administration; Xiao Li, member of the party group and deputy mayor of Jingdezhen Municipal People's Government; Zhu Hongwen, deputy director of the Palace Museum; Ai Jingfang, deputy secretary general of the China Museum Association; Ludovica Antonucci, coordinator for Capacity Building Programmes of the ICOM; Ana Labrador, honorary senior fellow of School of Historical and Philosophical Studies of Melbourne University and visiting scholar in Department of Social and Cultural Analysis of New York University; Ibrahim Tchan, director of the Ecomusée Tata Somba. Guan Li, party secretary and director of Jiangxi Provincial Museum, presided over this event. During the opening ceremony, Zhu Hongwen, Ding Xinquan and Xiao Li delivered speeches. Zhu Hongwen systematically reviewed the development history of ICOM-ITC, and looked back upon the profound relationship in ceramics between the Palace Museum and the Jiangxi Province as well as Jingdezhen, pointing out the significance of building a platform for international exchanges and academic research by organizing this training workshop here. Ding Xinquan highlighted the rich and profound historical and cultural heritage, as well as the natural ecology of Jiangxi province, hoping this workshop would broaden international horizons and explore new paths and strategies for the sustainable development of museums. Also, he sincerely expected that the participant would gain a better understanding of Jiangxi province to strengthen international friendships and promote cultural exchanges through this workshop. Xiao Li extended a warm welcome to the lecturers and participants who came from afar, mentioning that Jingdezhen is a city with thousands of years of cultural legacy in ceramics with exquisite ceramics production skills and profound historical heritage. She hoped that the training workshop would fully utilize the unique resources and explore advanced concepts and practical experiences in museum operation and management, exhibition planning, cultural relic protection, public service, and other aspects. The training workshop has invited senior experts from China, the United States, the Philippines, Benin, and Italy to give lectures, and attended by 30 participants including 14 Chinese participants, and 16 international participants from 14 countries across Asia, Africa, and South America. This 10-day training workshop will carry out teaching activities in Jingdezhen and Nanchang successively. Lecturers will discuss excellent cases of global museum management through lectures, discussions, case studies, interactive exchanges, hands-on practices, reading artifacts, excursions and evaluations, in a bid to enhance professional competence, broaden international perspectives, explore new paths and strategies for the sustainable development of museums, and jointly promote high-quality development of the global museum industry.

On September 29, “When the Great Way Prevails: Special Exhibition of Confucian Culture” opened at the Palace Museum. Sun Chunlan, former vice premier of the State Council and president of the International Confucian Association (ICA), attended the opening ceremony and declared the exhibition open. Zhang Zheng, deputy Party secretary and vice minister of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, Ding Wei, executive vice president of the ICA, and Zheng Zhiheng, vice chairman of Chow Tai Fook Jewellery Group, attended and delivered speeches. Chow Tai Fook Jewellery Group is the exhibition’s joint promoter. The opening ceremony was also attended by Xia Yunhai, deputy director general of the International Promotion Bureau of the Publicity Department of the CPC Central Committee, Xin Qi, special consultant to the ICA, and officials from the departments, bureaus, and affiliated public institutions of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism and National Cultural Heritage Administration (NCHA). Additionally, representatives from China National Museum of Women and Children, component departments of the Beijing Municipal Government, foundations, associations, academic societies, as well as current and former leadership of the Palace Museum attended the event. Wang Xudong, a member of the CPC Leadership Group of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism and director of the Palace Museum, presided over the opening ceremony. 2024 marks the 2,575th anniversary of Confucius’s birth and the 30th anniversary of the founding of the ICA. To enhance the cohesion of the Chinese nation and the appeal of Chinese culture, and to promote the research and dissemination of Confucianism and fine traditional Chinese culture, the Palace Museum and the ICA jointly organized this exhibition. The exhibition, themed “When the Great Way Prevails,” is divided into three sections: “Tracing Back to the Ancients to Seek Confucianism,” “Shaping the World through Ethical Civilization,” and “A Teacher for All Ages.” It explores the historical development of Confucian culture through rich archaeological evidence, classic texts, and cultural relics collections, highlighting the core concepts of Confucian thought and its profound global impact. The exhibition runs from Oct. 1, 2024, to Jan. 5, 2025, at the exhibition hall of the Meridian Gate (Wu men). An online version will be available on the Palace Museum’s official website, and the exhibition will be promoted through various platforms such as the museum’s official Weibo, WeChat, and video channels. The exhibition features 380 items (or sets of items) from nearly 30 archaeological and cultural institutions at home and abroad, including items from the Palace Museum’s collection. These institutions include (in order of stroke count): Shandong University Museum, Shandong Museum, the Shanxi Institute of Cultural Relics and Archaeology, Shanxi Museum, China National Museum of Women and Children, Inner Mongolia Institute of Cultural Relics and Archaeology, Confucius Museum, Gansu Provincial Museum, Sanxingdui Museum in Guanghan city of Sichuan province, Chengdu Museum, Jiangxi Provincial Institute of Cultural Relics and Archaeology, Jiangxi Provincial Museum, Wuyi Museum, Zaozhuang Museum, Zhengzhou Municipal Institute of Cultural Relics and Archaeology, Henan Museum, Weibin District Museum in Baoji city, Zhouyuan Museum in Baoji city, Jingmen Museum, Jingzhou Museum, Nanchang Relic Museum for Haihun Principality of Han Dynasty, Zhejiang Provincial Institute of Cultural Relics and Archaeology, Hunan Institute of Cultural Relics and Archaeology, Hunan Museum, Hubei Provincial Museum, Osaka City Museum of Fine Arts in Japan, Tokyo National Museum in Japan, and National Folk Museum of Korea. Additionally, important visual materials for the exhibition were provided by the Shangqiu Municipal Bureau of Culture, Radio, Film and Television, Guo Shoujing Memorial Hall in Xintai city of Hebei province, Huangdao District Museum in Qingdao city, and Vietnam National Museum of History. Chow Tai Fook Jewellery Group, as the exhibition’s joint promotion partner, has also contributed to the event.

The exhibition “Timeless Beauties: Figure Paintings from Across the Ages in the Palace Museum Collection (Phase IV)” kicked off on September 4, 2024, in the Palace Museum. The opening ceremony was attended by Du Haijiang, Party secretary and deputy director of the Palace Museum, and Liu Hong, a member of the Party committee and vice president of the Agricultural Bank of China (ABC), who both delivered speeches. Other attendees included Li Xiaoliang, deputy director of the General Office of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism; Chang Jinguo, deputy director of the General Office of the National Cultural Heritage Administration; Feng Naien, director and Party secretary of the Prince Kung’s Palace Museum; Li Lizhong, director of the Mei Lanfang Memorial Museum; Su Dan, deputy director of the China National Arts and Crafts Museum (China Intangible Cultural Heritage Museum); and Zhang Bo, general manager of the Department of Corporate Culture of the ABC. Ren Wanping, deputy director of the Palace Museum, presided over the opening ceremony. In his speech, Du Haijiang noted that the Palace Museum adheres to Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era. The museum is committed to authentically protecting and responsibly inheriting the excellent traditional Chinese culture embodied by the museum. The “Timeless Beauties” exhibition is the fourth in a series called “Figure Paintings from Across the Ages in the Palace Museum Collection,” following “Exemplars of the Court,” “Elegance of the Literati,” and “Life in Its Many Forms.” He said that this exhibition reflects the changes in women’s social status and living conditions across different political regimes, customs, and trends through the ages. It tells touching stories of love from family and country that have been passed down through the ages. The Palace Museum and the ABC will work together to utilize cultural relics to better tell China’s stories and foster a deep connection with its heritage, contributing to the preservation and promotion of fine traditional Chinese culture, Du said. Liu Hong stated in his speech that the ABC is one of the major comprehensive financial service providers in China and the only large commercial bank with branches covering all county-level regions nationwide. He said that the bank has been committed to a people-centered approach, focusing on high-quality development. It aims to become a leading bank in rural revitalization and a primary bank in supporting the real economy. The ABC has always been rooted in fine traditional Chinese culture and worked actively to foster and practice a financial culture with Chinese characteristics, aiming to support the development of cultural undertakings and industries by leveraging financial resources. Since signing a strategic cooperation agreement with the Palace Museum in 2017, the bank has supported multiple high-level exhibitions. The exhibition “Timeless Beauties: Figure Paintings from Across the Ages in the Palace Museum Collection (Phase IV)” is jointly promoted by the ABC. The exhibition features 83 precious paintings with both artistic and historical value from the Palace Museum’s collection. It will be open until October 31, 2024. Visitors can make reservations through the official Palace Museum ticketing website.