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

“Splendor on the Walls: Hanging Screens from the Qing Imperial Palace” is organized by the Palace Museum, with full support from the Hong Kong Jockey Club and exclusive sponsorship by the Institute of Philanthropy. The exhibition will be held at the exhibition hall of the Gate of Divine Prowess (Shenwu men) from July 6 to November 3, 2024. Hanging screens are often hung on interior walls to decorate and embellish vertical spaces. The craftsmanship and aesthetic value of Qing Dynasty hanging screens are unprecedented, and these screens were widely used in the halls and pavilions of the imperial court. The Palace Museum now houses over 900 hanging screens from the Qing imperial palace, the largest collection of its kind, highlighting their significant role in interior decoration at that time. These screens are exquisitely crafted and rich in detail, embodying the finest craftsmanship of the Qing Dynasty. They have retained their brilliance despite the passage of time and are now available for all to appreciate. The exhibition is divided into four sections, inviting visitors to closely observe and appreciate these masterpieces. The “Picturesque Landscapes” section features hanging screens that depict scenes from the emperor’s southern inspection tours. These artworks showcase rolling mountains that create an immersive experience for visitors, making them feel as though they were stepping into an idealized, poetic world. The “A Multitude of Lives” section includes hanging screens that portray various figures, from emperors to farmers, fishermen to scholars, foreign merchants to mythical immortals. Each figure is vividly depicted, evoking profound thoughts and imagination. The landscapes captured in time in the hanging screens may remain unchanged, but the real world is constantly evolving. However, the aspirations and pursuits conveyed through the screens are timeless and enduring. The two sections upstairs offer visitors an entirely new experience. The “Delightful Elegance” section contains hanging screens that convey emotions through detailed compositions of flowers and birds, filled with auspicious meanings. One of the hanging screens depicts birds feeding their young, subtly hinting at a deeper subtext. “The Elegance of Brush and Ink” section focuses on the artistic endeavors of emperors of the Qing Dynasty during their leisure time. Only the finest works of calligraphy and painting were selected to be crafted into hanging screens and displayed in the halls. These creations reflect the emperors’ unwavering dedication to state affairs. A pair of screens on display carry characters using the mother-of-pearl inlaying technique too document significant military and state matters, serving as an enduring historical artifact for future generations. This is the first exhibition themed on hanging screens from the Qing imperial palace. To help visitors better understand the artistic and cultural value of the Qing Dynasty hanging screens, the exhibition uses their themes as a thread and foregrounding their craftsmanship. It selects and displays over 60 representative hanging screens and related paintings and calligraphy. Highlights include the extraordinary “Gold-thread Woven Mountain Villa and Orchard,” a unique gold-thread kesi (silk tapestry) work, as well as the exquisitely crafted “Silver Inlaid Plum and Apricot” hanging screen. Reproductions of original paintings and calligraphy, such as the “Emperor Xuanzong of Tang Riding a Horse” and “Chicks Waiting to Be Fed,” reflect thoughts on preparing for danger in times of peace and on governing the country and its people. While primarily decorative, these screens also convey deeper meanings.  The design of the exhibition is distinctive, featuring an elegant, yet restrained style. Innovative spatial design and digital media technology have been used to highlight the artistic and historical significance of these hanging screens. In terms of spatial design, the first and second floors of the exhibition hall are designed with the themes of “Country” and “Family,” respectively. The design uses “mirror screens” and “partition walls” to transport visitors to both expansive natural scenes and culturally significant environments. Additionally, the unique double-layer display walls allow visitors to closely appreciate the hanging screens. Through doors and windows, visitors can view a recreation of how the hanging screens were originally displayed inside the rooms of the Qing imperial palace. There is also a specific exhibition space showcasing an immersive scene from the Hall of Mental Cultivation (Yangxin dian) using hanging screens. Multiple multimedia screens in the exhibition hall provide information on the origins, craftsmanship, and display contexts of the hanging screens. Interactive screens offer visitors an engaging experience, allowing them to explore the ancient hanging screens’ artistic and cultural significance. Throughout the exhibition, various “screen” elements, including hanging screens, multimedia screens, and mirror screens, are used to create an immersive experience. Standing in front of these screens is like looking through windows into the past. They allow visitors to feel as if they were conversing with people from ancient times. The exhibition aims to let everyone experience the charm of history through those exquisite ancient hanging screens.

With the 2024 summer vacation approaching, the Palace Museum has issued the following summer visit guidelines to provide a comfortable visiting experience and ensure the safety of the ancient buildings and our visitors. Ticket reservation 1. The official ticket reservation channels are the WeChat mini-program and multilingual website of the Palace Museum. Reservations can be made up to seven days in advance starting from 20:00. Annual pass holders need to register for their visits at least one day in advance.  2. Children aged 6 and under, or with a height of 1.2 meters or below, do not need a reservation but must be accompanied by an adult with a reserved ticket. Children above 6 years old still need to make a reservation. Children under 14 years old must be accompanied by an adult. Each adult visitor can take up to three children under 14 years old. Entry instructions 1. The Palace Museum opens at 8:30 and closes at 17:00. Ticket checks stop at 16:00. The museum is closed on Mondays (except on statutory holidays). During the summer vacation, the peak hours for entry are from 8:30 to 11:00. Expect longer wait times for security and ticket checks during these hours. Please plan your visit wisely, avoid peak hours if possible, and stay updated on weather forecasts for high temperatures and heavy rain. Stay cool and protect yourself from the heat. Customer service hotline: 400-950-1925. 2. The entrance is at the Meridian Gate (Wu men). You can reach it by walking from Tiananmen Gate to the Upright Gate (Duan men), Donghuamen Street to Quezuomen Gate, or Xihuamen Street to Queyoumen Gate. The Palace Museum Visitor Service Center is south of the Meridian Gate (Wu men), on the west side of Duanmen Square. It provides ticket inquiries (including senior tickets), luggage storage, convenience services, first aid kits, and other services. Security and ticket check channels are south of the Meridian Gate (Wu men). Please exit through the Gate of Divine Prowess (Shenwu men) or the East Prosperity Gate (Donghua men) after your visit. 3. Visitors with large luggage or items on the “Prohibited Items List” should first store their luggage and prohibited items at the Visitor Service Center on the west side of Duanmen Square before heading to the Meridian Gate (Wu men) for ticket checks. This prevents the need to queue twice. Visitors in wheelchairs or with strollers should use the barrier-free lane. Visitors aged 60 and above, or those with mobility problems, may use the special care lane. Visitors without bags may use the no-bag lane. Please use original ID card for ticket verification to ensure quick system recognition. Visitor services 1. The Palace Museum WeChat mini-program offers an electronic map with recommended quick tour routes, in-depth tour routes, summer tour routes, and barrier-free tour routes. It also features audio guides and information on exhibitions, guided tour services, audio guide device rentals, dining, cultural and creative products, bookstores, restrooms, broadcasting room, first aid, and the police station. 2. If you get separated from your group during the visit, you can ask for assistance from the nearest staff member. You can also call the broadcasting room (010-85007424) or the police station (010-85007494) for help. For lost items, please contact the police station (010-85007494). 3. In case of heatstroke or other physical symptoms, or in an emergency, seek help from nearby staff or call the Palace Museum’s first aid station (010-85007120). Visitor guidelines 1. Please protect the Palace Museum, one of the World Cultural Heritage sites in China. Smoking is prohibited throughout, as is climbing ancient buildings, displayed artifacts, rockeries, and ancient trees. Touching, carving, or defacing any of the ancient buildings, artifacts, or exhibits is also prohibited. 2. Please maintain order during your visit. Activities such as performances, promotions, interviews, conducting social surveys, engaging in religious activities, selling goods or services, and commercial photography are prohibited. Live streaming and recording activities by non-institutional content providers on social media platforms are not allowed in the exhibition halls. Eating, setting up easels, and using flash photography, selfie sticks, and tripod photography equipment in the exhibition halls are also prohibited. 3. Considering that the Palace Museum has many staircases, steep slopes, and uneven surfaces, please pay attention to warning signs. Do not linger under eaves, near trees, by rocks, or in narrow passages for extended periods. In case of emergencies, accidents, or extreme weather, please follow staff guidance or broadcast announcements, and leave the museum in an orderly manner. The Palace Museum July 1, 2024

Since International Museum Day 2024 is themed on“Museums for Education and Research,” the Palace Museum organized four projects centered around science popularization and inheritance of traditional culture, and sharing and co-creation of museum-school cooperation resources,a testament to the museum’s achievements and measures in academic research and public education, as well as its practice and effects in educational communication and promoting the development of academic research among museums.   Wonderful World in Chinese Characters: Museum-School CooperationArtAchievements Exhibition Chinese characters, which record and sustain Chinese culture, are the cultural genes of Chinese civilization. As the largest ancient art museum in China, the Palace Museum possesses a massive collection of ancient Chinese texts. Thanks to its research team’s years of effort, a number of achievementsin thecollection and researchofancient Chinese textual relics have been published, and the Palace Museumremainscommitted to the transformation and innovative application of the latest research achievements. On May 18, the“Wonderful World in Chinese Characters: Museum-School Cooperation Art Achievements Exhibition” was held in the Palace Museum Education Center, displayingrecent outcomes concerning ancient Chinese characters through museum-school cooperation.   Poster for the“Wonderful World in Chinese Characters” exhibition. The museum-school cooperation project—jointly launched by the Palace Museum, the Innovation Platform for Art-Related Subjects during the 14th Five-Year Plan of Beijing Institute of Education, andBeijing Student Jinfan Calligraphy and Painting Institute—kicked off in March 2024. The project includes a series of education activities, providing lectures, articles and display boards on science popularization for teachers,thedesign andrelease of a learning list for ancient scriptsfeaturingfunactivitiesfor teachers and students,that exploredthe artistic creation techniquesof ancient characters. A lecture onancient Chinesecharacters for teachers. On the morning of May 18, leaders including Zhu Hongwen, deputy director of the Palace Museum; Wu Wei, executive deputy director of the secretariat office of Beijing Student Jinfan Calligraphy and Painting Institute; Wang Su, head of the Palace Museum branch of  the collaborative research and innovation platform for“the Ancient Chinese Characters and Chinese Civilization Inheritance and Development Project;” as well as representatives of teachers and students from participating schools attended theexhibition. In her speech, Zhu Hongwen mentioned that the project realized the transformation and innovative application ofnew research achievements. The project, amicrocosm of the Palace Museum’s dedication to education and research over the years, isone of the museum’s highlights on International Museum Day this year. Zhu Hongwen delivers a speech. Wang Su notedthecritical role that Chinese charactershave played in the continuous development process of Chinese civilization. He stressed the importance of students’ ability to read ancient Chinese charactersin their pursuit oflearning traditional Chinese culture, and spoke highly of how thecooperation had facilitated the transformation and dissemination of ancient Chinese characters through science popularization. Representative from“the Inheritance and Development Project of Ancient Chinese Characters and Chinese Civilization” delivers a speech. The“Wonderful World in Chinese Characters: Museum-School Cooperation Art Achievements Exhibition” is open to the public until this weekend. Exhibition panels based on the Palace Museum’s ancient characters collections areondisplay,as well as works created by teachers andstudents,whichillustrate not only the museum’s rich ancient script collection, but also the cognition and interpretationthrough colors and imagesby children.  Learning list and art works created by teachers and students. “Our Forbidden City” Educational ResourcesReleased Online The Palace Museum releaseda number ofeducational resources on the theme of“Our Forbidden City”on the youth edition of itsofficial website, which canbe download and utilizedby teachers and students forfree.   Posterpromoting the release of “Our Forbidden City” educational resources The resources arethe result of the “Our Forbidden City” project jointly launched by the Palace Museum and the Hong KongAcademy of ChineseStudies in 2022. The project hadpreviouslylaunched a set of exhibition panels,handbooks, and photocollections for teachersin Hong Kong. As of April 2024,the resourceshad reached 252 schools and benefited more than 80,000 students. The educationalteam at the Palace Museum has renewed and revised the educational resources of the“Our Forbidden City” project to meet the needs of students in the Chinese mainland, launching 68 educational programs covering primary and secondary school students. The fruits of their labor are presentedin the forms of thematic panels and handbooks, self-study materials, and PowerPoint slides,assisting studentsin their discovery of thebeauty of the Forbidden City. In recent years, under the guideline released by the Ministry of Education and the National Cultural Heritage Administration on the utilization of museum resources in primary and secondary school education, the Palace Museum has leveraged modern information technology to build an online museum resource platform and a museum resource library for youth education, promoting the integration of museum resources into the country’s education system. These educational resources recently released online can be usedas teachingresources and as the basis forthedesignof thematic curriculum. Teachers of different disciplines can extract the required information, combinewith their respective teaching objectives, andapplythem to a series of teaching activities.   During the process ofresources integration, the Palace Museum invitedBeijing No. 1 Kindergartenand Children’s Palace ofDongcheng District to design courses with the resources.On May 18, a demonstrative open class from thetwo institutions was heldin the Palace MuseumEducation Center. Two teachers were invited to evaluate the class on-site, including Lu Jing,teaching researcher of thepre-school training department ofthe Institute of Educational Sciences ofDongcheng District, and Huang Youfang, an inheritor of intangible cultural heritage in Dongcheng District. In addition, theopen class was alsoattended by members of the public who observed and shared educational resources. Teachers evaluate the open class. Short Video Series“Visiting the Palace Museum onDouyin” Season 3 Released In the run-up to International Museum Day on May 18, the Palace Museum’s official Douyin (known as TikTok abroad) accountreleasedseason 3 of the short video series“Visiting the Palace Museum onDouyin”. The videos feature professionals from the museum elucidating on various topics, including the architecture, calligraphy and painting, literary works, weapons, jade, toys, and gold and silver wares.   Posters forthe short video series“Visiting the Palace Museum onDouyin” (season 3). Season 3 includes more cultural relics categories, especially thosethat visitors may have overlooked, such as the sculpture galleryin the Palace of Compassion and Tranquility (Cining Gong), the original display of the Palace of Longevity and Health (Shoukang Gong), and the special exhibitions “The Most Honorable Treatment: Empress Dowager Chongqing” and “Long Live the Emperor! Exhibition of Imperial Birthday Celebrations.” In terms ofthe way ofnarration,season 3 continues to explore the stories behind the artifacts, focusing on storytelling, entertainment  value and interconnectedness,including the story of themountain-shapedcarvingjade (Yu Shan Zi), the “nesting doll”-like writingbrushes, the modified flowervases, and the screencarrying Emperor Qianlong’s poem for his mother. The presentationisthe first time thatmatting and compositingtechnology has been utilized, which enablesthe narrator to“walk into” the ancient paintings,providing the audience with an immersive experience in the world of ancient paintings.   Visual effects of “Visiting the Palace Museum onDouyin”. The Palace Museum is resolutely committed tothenotion of “bringing culturalrelicsto life,” transformingthe professional and authoritative knowledgeabout theForbidden City intothe interesting and informative videos, conveying the concepts, wisdom and emotions embedded inancient buildings and culturalrelics, andcarryingforward the core socialist values. Palace Museum Volunteers PresentLectureson Traditional Culture Volunteers play an important role in the publicity and education work of the Palace Museum. On May 18, the Palace Museum saw its volunteers engage in thematic publicity and visiting services. At the open routes and the entrances to the museum, volunteers providedvisitors with access to route planning, exhibition interpretation,information services. They also publicizedInternational Museum Day among the visitors. Volunteers in service atthe Palace Museum. On the same day, the Palace Museum sent two members of its Voluntary Culture Publicity Team to give culturallectures at Beijing Economic-Technological Development Area (also known as Beijing E-Town). The lectures, themed“TheTimers in the Palace Museum” and “DecorativePatterns on Blue-and-WhitePorcelain Wares,” helped spread the Forbidden City culture and vitalize the social life in Beijing E-Town.   Lectures at BeijingE-Town. The Voluntary Culture Publicity Team of the Palace Museum, established in 2006, is composed of the museum volunteers.Previously, the team had delivered lecturesin Chaoyang District, Beijingin April.Three lectures were held on May 10 and 18.Looking ahead, the volunteer team will offer another thematic lecture—“Vigorous Dragons and Phoenixes: Story of the Tian-Tsui Phoenix Crown Adorned with Pearls and Gems and Filigree Dragon in the Collection of the Palace Museum”— on May 24. The Palace Museum emphasizes the integration of culture, museum, and education. It aims to fully utilize its role in education by promoting collaboration with schools, creating educational content, and expanding its influence.In the years to come, the museumwill staycommitted to creatively transforming, interpreting, anddisseminating traditional Chinese culture, while providing visitors with a range of educational services and experiences throughtappingeducational resources andinnovating teaching methods.

On May 10, 2024, the signing ceremony for the cooperation framework agreement on the donation to the Palace Museum from the Institute of Philanthropy, whichwasco-founded by the Hong Kong Jockey Club (HKJC) and the HKJC Charities Trust, and the inaugural ceremony of the Palace Museum Hong Kong Cultural Exchange Hub were held successfully in the museum.Wang Xudong, a member of the Party Leadership Group of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism and director of the Palace Museum, andMichael Lee, chairman of the HKJC, signed the agreement on behalf of both parties and delivered speeches at the event. Distinguished guestspresent at this event included Kevin Yeung, Secretary for Culture, Sports and Tourism of Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR); Xu Li, second-level inspector of the Hong Kong and Macao Work Office of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee; Kong Lun, deputy director of the Bureau of International Exchange and Cooperation of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism (the Office of Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan Affairs); Ann Kung Yeung Yun-chi, vice-chairperson of the board of directors ofthe Institute of Philanthropy and director of the HKJC; Li Xiaocheng, head of the Forbidden City Cultural Heritage Conservation Foundation; and Louis Ng, director of the Hong Kong Palace Museum. The event was presided over byLou Wei, executive deputy director of the Palace Museum.   Lou Wei, executive deputy director of the Palace Museum, presides over the event Wang Xudong noted in hisspeech that since the 18th CPC National Congress in 2012, in order to preserve traditional Chinese culture and thrive the spirits of the Chinese nation,the CPC Central Committee with Xi Jinping at its core hasprioritized the protection and utilization of cultural heritage. The Palace Museumis steadfast in its commitment tothe historic mission of protecting, inheriting and carrying forward fine traditional Chinese culture in anauthentic, complete and responsible manner. In recent years, the HKJC has been actively involved in various fields of public welfare and charitable causes in Hong Kong and the Chinese mainland. As an effort to actively implement the principal guidance and instructions of General Secretary Xi Jinping and put into practice the nation’s 14th Five-Year Plan (2021-2025), the cooperation between the two sides reflects the HKJC’s endeavor for protecting and utilizing the cultural heritage, and manifests the new comprehensive opening-up concept of the Palace Museum that aims to open the museum’s cultural resources, connecting with all walks of life and carrying out extensive cultural exchanges.     Wang Xudong, director of the Palace Museum, delivers a speech Michael Lee highlighted that the HKJC supports the Palace Museumin the“Chinese Culture Spreading and Cultural Technology Talent Cultivation” program (hereinafter referred to the Program), making use of the precious resources of the museum, integrating art with technology, organizing a number of cultural exchange exhibitions, talent cultivation and education programs, and enabling people in the Chinese mainland and Hong Kong, especially the younger generation, to have a deep understanding of Chinese history and culture.   Michael Lee, chairman of the HKJC, delivers aspeech Wang Xudong andMichael Lee signed the agreement on behalf of both parties. According to this agreement, the Institute of Philanthropy will donate 371 million yuanin sponsorship funds for the Program from 2024 to 2028. The Programinvolves the renovation of ancient buildings, organization of exhibitions, cultivation of talent, archaeological studies and public education, of which a major part is the renovation of the Palace of Celestial Favor (Chengqian Gong), one of the six palaces locatedin the eastern wing of the inner court of the Forbidden City. Moreover, the Palace Museum Hong Kong Cultural Exchange Hub has beenestablished to organize thematic exhibitions on traditional culture and present the cultural exchange achievements of young art-related technology personnel between Hong Kongand the Chinese mainland. The signing of this agreementsignified the launch of the Palace Museum Hong Kong Cultural Exchange Hub.   Under the cooperation framework agreement, the Palace Museum and the HKJC will work closely together and strengthen communication, with an aim to jointly promote the successful implementation of the Program. This event was attended by officials from the Office of the Government of the HKSAR in Beijing, representatives from the HKJC, the Institute of Philanthropy, and the (Hong Kong) China Foundation for Cultural Heritage Conservation, and officials of the Palace Museum and its departments. 

To allow more visitors to appreciate the precious archaeological findings of Iran and rich cultural heritage of the ancient Persia, The Glory of the Ancient Persia which was originally set to end on April 11, has been extended until May 5. Visitors can access the exhibition with an admission ticket to the Palace Museum. Real-name reservations can be made via the Palace Museum’s official WeChat mini program.   The Palace Museum