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

On the afternoon of April 1, 2024, the exhibition The Forbidden City and the Palace of Versailles: Exchanges Between China and France in the 17th and 18th Centuries opened in the Hall of Literary Brilliance (Wenhua dian) of the Palace Museum. The exhibition is jointly hosted by the Palace Museum and the Palace of Versailles, and sponsored by China Construction Bank, Longfor Group, and Cartier. In April 2023, President Xi Jinping and President Emmanuel Macron announced the joint holding of the Franco-Chinese Year of Cultural Tourism in 2024, which marks the 60th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries. A major aspect of this year’s event, The Forbidden City and the Palace of Versailles: Exchanges Between China and France in the 17th and 18th Centuries, is about the diplomatic relations and the exchange of art and culture between China and France. About 200 exquisite artifacts from the Palace Museum, the Palace of Versailles, and other institutions showcase the mutual respect, appreciation, and learning that took place in the context of political and cultural exchange between the two nations over the span of a century. The exhibition is open to the public from April 1 to June 30 in the Hall of Literary Brilliance.   In addition, as proposed by the French Embassy in China, the opening of the 2024 Festival Croisements shall coincide with the exhibition. The Festival, inaugurated in 2006, is aimed at promoting exchange and dialogue between Chinese and French art institutions and artists, demonstrating innovation and vitality in the art of the two nations, and boosting the two peoples’ friendship and understanding of each other’s culture. After 18 years, the Festival has evolved into a major platform for cultural exchange. The Forbidden City and the Palace of Versailles formally launched the Festival Croisements in Beijing. The Orchestra of the Royal Opera of Versailles and the China National Traditional Orchestra performed together at the opening ceremony. The former is the official orchestra of the Palace of Versailles, where they put on several hundred concerts and other music-related events each year, including performances for royalty, important guests, and leaders from other nations. The China National Traditional Orchestra, an ensemble under the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, is the largest and most instrumentally complete Chinese traditional orchestra in the world, and owes the only professional Chinese traditional chorus in the country. The Orchestra of the Royal Opera of Versailles performed the Versailles Court Opera Medley of Select Pieces and excerpts from Vivaldi’s The Four Seasons. Afterwards, the China National Traditional Orchestra performed Impression of Beijing. As for the final piece, Zhao Cong, head of the China National Traditional Orchestra, took the stage and performed Impression of a Rose with the French orchestra’s percussionists. With this splendid feast for the ears, the two orchestras jointly promoted the cultural exchange between China and France. Before the opening ceremony, the press conference for the exhibition was held at the Archery Pavilion of the Palace Museum. Mr. Wang Xudong, director of the Palace Museum, Mr. Christophe Leribault, president of the Public Establishment of the Palace, Museum and National Estate of Versailles, Mr. Li Yun, executive vice president of China Construction Bank, Ms. Song Yao, senior vice president of Longfor Group, and Mr. Pierre Rainero, Cartier’s director of image, style and heritage, attended and addressed the press conference. The opening of the exhibition also marks a new beginning for exchanges and cooperation between the Palace Museum and French institutions. During the ceremony, the Palace Museum signed strategic cooperation agreements with the Palace of Versailles and the Guimet Museum. During the press conference, the Palace Museum and Cartier also signed a cooperation agreement. The Palace Museum and the above three institutions all enjoy good partnership and broad prospects for cooperation. Through the signing of the documents, they jointly confirmed their intention to continue to promote exchanges and cooperation in the future. In 2004 and 2005, the Palace of Versailles and the Palace Museum jointly held the exhibition Emperor Kangxi and the Sun King Louis XIV. To mark the 50th anniversary of the establishment of Sino-French diplomatic relations, in 2014, the Palace of Versailles held the exhibition La Chine à Versailles: Art et diplomatie au XVIIIe siècle. Highly popular among the public, these events established a strong foundation for exchange between the two institutions. This exhibition The Forbidden City and the Palace of Versailles: Exchanges Between China and France in the 17th and 18th Centuries is divided into three sections. The first is “The Encounter of the Dragon and the Fleur-de-lis.” The dragon is a unique creation of Chinese culture and symbol of the Chinese spirit while the fleur-de-lis is a symbol of the French royal family. These two symbols first encountered each other in 1688, when the French King Louis XIV dispatched some of his mathematicians to Beijing, who were received by the Kangxi Emperor and were instrumental in initiating official political and cultural exchanges between the two nations. Back then, the interaction between China and France was characterized by a high level of attention from both courts, exchanges in the realms of science and art, and the service of Jesuit missionaries in the Qing court as a bridge of communication. The transmission of Chinese classics contributed to the birth of modern sinology in France. The second section, “The French Landscape in the Forbidden City,” is divided into the sub-sections of “Gifts and Commissions” and “Convergence and Innovation.” The Qing court collection features a rich variety of objects from France, which were either gifts and merchandise from the interaction between the two countries, or contributions from missionaries. With the deepening of bilateral relations, the Qing court began to commission objects from the West. The Qing court had many pieces that exhibit the influence of French craftsmanship and French cultural imprints. The profound, fascinating cultures of China and France interacted closely within the Forbidden City, inspiring rich creativity and innovation. The third section, “Chinese Vogue at the Versailles,” is also divided into two sub-sections: “Collection and Adaptation” and “Imitation and Inspiration.” With the deepening of exchanges between the East and the West, numerous goods from China, adored by the French royal family and political leaders, were brought to Europe. Meanwhile, French dealers decorated and remodeled Chinese imports to better suit the tastes of the French. Chinese culture has greatly influenced French art styles, with the replication of Chinese porcelain playing a significant role in the development of French Chinoiserie art. China thus became a wellspring of inspiration for French artists and intellectuals, with the latter incorporating many Chinese elements in numerous areas of their work. The period from the latter half of the 17th century to the 18th century was a golden age of cultural and court exchange between China and France, which was also when the French royal family and court expressed the greatest interest in Chinese culture. A massive quantity of Chinese craftwork and books made their way into the collections of the French court and nobility, leading to a wave of Chinoiserie art creation that initiated at the Versailles and rippled across Europe. The French court possessed a multitude of objects from China and French-manufactured Chinoiserie art, which are now important pieces of evidence for understanding this period of Sino-French relations and art exchanges. Similarly, far away in China, after King Louis XIV sent his Jesuit “king’s mathematicians” to China, numerous other French Jesuits followed in their footsteps, many of whom remained in long-term service in China, exerting an important influence on the Qing court in the realms of science, art, architecture, medicine, and cartography up through the reign of the Qianlong Emperor. This exhibition looks at this fascinating century of Sino-French exchange. China and France, though separated by tens of thousands of kilometers, spent an extensive amount of time trying to understand each other and engaging in cultural exchange. Their mutual attraction during that period has remained solidly rooted within unforgettable memories and served as an outstanding example of exchanges and mutual learning among world civilizations. The exhibition may be visited with a general admission ticket to the Palace Museum. Visitors can book admission tickets and pick visiting dates viathe museum’s ticketing website. 

A signing ceremony for the strategic cooperation agreement between the Palace Museum and DingTalk (China) Information Technology Co., Ltd. (hereinafter referred to as “DingTalk”) was held Monday in the Studio of Esteemed Excellence (Jingsheng zhai) at the Palace Museum’s Palace of Established Happiness (Jianfu gong). Luo Xianliang, deputy secretary of the Party Committee and deputy director of the Palace Museum, presided over the event. Zhu Hongwen, deputy director of the Palace Museum, and Yang Meng, president of Global Business of DingTalk, signed the agreement on behalf of both parties. The agreement was signed under the witness of leaders including Wang Xudong, a member of the Party Leadership Group of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism and director of the Palace Museum, and Ye Jun, president of DingTalk. The strategic cooperation between the Palace Museum and DingTalk began in 2022. Over the past two years, both parties have worked together to combine the Palace Museum’s expertise in the cultural and museum industry with DingTalk’s strength in the sector of mobile office. Together, they have developed a digital office platform tailored for the Palace Museum, advanced the “Digital Palace Museum” initiative and promoted digital innovation in the cultural sector’s management models. In this renewed partnership, both parties will leverage their respective advantages to deepen cooperation in areas such as administrative efficiency, digital business management, AI development, and youth cultural education. By utilizing DingTalk’s various features, including YiDa, its customized platform, its smart meeting solutions, which combine both software and hardware, and its knowledge repository, they aim to streamline approval workflow and enhance efficiency. Based on large-scale AI models, they will collaborate on developing and applying AI technology tailored for the culture and museum sector. Leveraging the Palace Museum’s expertise in youth education and DingTalk’s popularity among young users, they plan precision cooperation spanning content delivery and channel engagement, and will explore innovative ways to empower the cultural sector with technology. Lou Wei, executive deputy director of the Palace Museum, noted that DingTalk is a leader in the field of intelligent mobile office platforms. He noted that the Palace Museum’s collaboration with DingTalk over the past two years has yielded tangible benefits, notably enhancing administrative efficiency through the systematic development of the mobile office platform. Looking ahead, he hopes that both parties will fully leverage their respective advantages and delve into pioneering areas where culture and innovation converge. The Palace Museum plans to work with more partners dedicated to the cultural and museum sector and promote its high-quality development, Lou said. Ye Jun highlighted the role of the cultural and museum sector in upholding fine traditional Chinese culture, with museums serving as essential spaces for the protection and promotion of human civilization. DingTalk, as an intelligent mobile office platform, aims to leverage its user base and industry cases to support the cultural and museum sector’s digital transformation. In the era of intelligence, DingTalk seeks to share its expertise in digital management with partners in the cultural and museum sector, helping them enhance their digital capabilities. Through this collaboration, both parties aspire to advance the integration of culture and technology, driving innovation in frontier areas like AI. They aim to strengthen technological development and promote the renewal of fine traditional culture to usher in a new chapter in the integrated development of culture and technology.

To allow more visitors to appreciate the precious archaeological findings and rich cultural heritage of Saudi Arabia, the “AlUla, Wonder of Arabia” exhibition, which was originally set to end on March 22, has been extended until April 11. 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 March 22, 2024