On October 1, “An Exhibition Commemorating the Southward Evacuation of the Palace Museum’s Artifacts” opened to the public at the Gate of Divine Prowess (Shenwu men) Exhibition Hall. The exhibition features over 100 items (or sets) of archival documents and valuable cultural artifacts, offering a comprehensive and in-depth exploration of the Palace Museum’s arduous excavation journey to the south. The exhibition on this heroic cultural legacy is co-hosted by the Palace Museum, the National Humanity History Magazine under People’s Daily Press, and the Sheen Chuen-Chi Cultural & Educational Foundation, and co-organized by the Palace Museum’s Archive (Museum History Exhibition Hall) and China Mobile’s Migu Cultural Technology Co., Ltd. The exhibition will run until December 31, 2025.   The exhibition’s opening ceremony was held on September 30 at the Palace Museum. Guests who delivered speeches included Wang Xudong, a member of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Leadership Group of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism and director of the Palace Museum; Xu Lijing, deputy editor-in-chief of People’s Daily Press; Shi Jingwen, secretary general of the Sheen Chuen-Chi Cultural & Educational Foundation; and Xiang Yang, Party secretary and general manager of Migu Cultural Technology Co., Ltd. Other guests included Shen Beili, Party secretary and vice chairperson of the China Soong Ching Ling Foundation; Du Haijiang, Party secretary and deputy director of the Palace Museum; Zheng Xinmiao, former director of the Palace Museum; Li Hui, deputy director of the Cross-Strait Economic and Technological Cooperation Center under the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council; Feng Mingzhu, former director of the Taipei Palace Museum; Li Xiaoliang, deputy director of the General Office of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism; Qing Zhu, second-level inspector of the Cultural Relics and Historic Sites Department under the National Cultural Heritage Administration (NCHA); Zhu Ye, deputy director of the International Exchange and Cooperation Department of the NCHA; Tang Fei, Party secretary and director of the Sichuan Provincial Cultural Heritage Administration; Song Xinchao, chairman of ICOMOS China; and Li Xiaocheng, chairman of the Forbidden City Cultural Heritage Conservation Foundation. Wang Yuegong, vice president of the Palace Museum, presided over the opening ceremony. The southward evacuation was an extraordinary chapter in the Chinese People’s War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression. Artifacts were relocated from North China to different provinces in the country’s southwest region. Over two decades, these precious artifacts travelled thousands of miles—from grand ancient palaces to Western-styled villas in foreign concessions, from modern storehouses made of iron and steel to mountain caves and rural ancestral halls. During those challenging years, individuals, driven by a profound sense of duty, worked tirelessly to preserve the roots and lifeblood of Chinese culture, leaving behind moving stories and enduring legacies.     The exhibition is divided into three sections. The first section, titled “Southward Evacuation and Northern Return: Timeless Guardianship of National Treasures,” offers a comprehensive overview of the drifting and migrating life of the Palace Museum’s artifacts from the 1930s to the 1950s. Featuring archival documents, historical images, and artifacts that were part of the evacuation, it shows in detail the full journey of the evacuation, beginning with relocation from Peiping (now Beijing) to Shanghai and Nanjing. When the war situation shifted, the artifacts were moved in three batches to Sichuan and Guizhou. After the founding of the People’s Republic of China, most of the artifacts returned to Beijing, with some preserved in Taiwan due to social changes.               The second section, titled “Revival of Ancient Artifacts and the Continuation of Cultural Heritage,” is a combination of archival documents (e.g. exhibition posters, newspaper albums, item catalogues) and artifacts (e.g. bronze wares, porcelain, jade ware, calligraphy and paintings) carefully selected by the Palace Museum for exhibition at the “Royal Academy Exhibition of Chinese Art” in London, Moscow and Leningrad (now St. Petersburg) during the War of Resistance. The section also included records of calligraphy and painting exhibitions hosted by the Palace Museum in Southwest China to thank the local people for their tremendous efforts in preserving these artifacts.         The third section, titled “Keeping the Torch of Cultural Heritage Alive,” chooses to display artifacts that were moved southward and those that were kept in Beijing side by side. By comparing the similarities and related elements of these artifacts, the section illustrates the integrity, continuity, innovation, inclusiveness, and peacefulness of Chinese culture and the unbreakable bond between the artifacts of the Palace Museum and its counterpart in Taipei. It also includes a sculpture of the people who participated in the evacuation.  This exhibition utilizes archival documents, historical images, and cultural artifacts from the Palace Museum’s collections, and integrates digital media technology to vividly showcase the museum’s southward evacuation—the relocation, storage and exhibition of the artifacts—during the War of Resistance. “An Exhibition Commemorating the Southward Evacuation of the Palace Museum’s Artifacts” portrays the grand, turbulent history and the collective memory of a great civilization.

Dear visitors, Due to public activities in the Tian’anmen area, the Palace Museum will be temporarily closed from August 31 to September 4. The Museum will resume normal business hours on September 5. Please plan your visits accordingly.   We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause. If you need any assistance, please call our service hotline at 400-950-1925. The Palace Museum August 24, 2025

As the summer season winds down, the Palace Museum’s 2025 Summer Knowledge Program, a highlight for many students, has successfully come to a close. With the museum approaching its 100th anniversary, this year’s summer program built upon the winter curriculum, featuring two main themes: “The Architecture and Artifacts of the Forbidden City” and “Sports Meet in the Forbidden City.” The program offered a blend of online and in-person learning. From July 17 to 20, eight on-site classes provided students with a direct and engaging museum experience. Following this, an eight-episode series of short online videos was released from August 6 to 13 across multiple platforms, including Douyin, Weibo, WeChat, Toutiao, Xinhuanet.com, CCTV.com and the Palace Museum’s youth website. These videos garnered over 4.4 million views. Here’s a review of the program’s highlights. A Return to the Classics: Experiencing History and Artifacts The “Architecture and Artifacts of the Forbidden City” series featured four of the museum’s most popular educational courses, combining classroom lectures, hands-on workshops, and exhibition tours to take students on a journey into the past. In the “Colors of the Eaves” workshop, students learned about the artistic features of the Palace Museum’s ancient architectural paintings before creating their own shrink-plastic key chains, capturing the vibrant patterns in their miniature crafts. The “DIY Court Beads” workshop focused on Qing court etiquette and attire, with participants stringing their own unique accessories. Two other workshops, “Carving Qianlong’s Seals” and “Keeping Cool in the Palace,” were held at the Guardian Art Center. In the first workshop, students discovered the story of the Qianlong Emperor, an avid collector of seals, and then tried their hand at carving their own rubber stamps, experiencing the traditional scholarly pursuit of expressing oneself through seals. In the “Keeping Cool in the Palace” workshop, participants learned about clever ways the Qing court beat the summer heat and then painted their own elegant designs on glass ice cups. Students enjoy a hands-on cultural workshop A key feature of the program was its integration with current exhibitions. The “Colors of the Eaves” workshop was connected to the “A Thousand-Year Legacy of Caihua” exhibition, while the “DIY Court Beads” class included a tour of the Treasury Gallery. The “Carving the Qianlong’s Seals” and “Keeping Cool in the Palace” workshops were linked to the “Elegance Across Time” special exhibition, a project co-hosted by the Palace Museum and the Guardian Art Center. These tours allowed students to observe the artifacts up close, transforming historical knowledge from books and lectures into a tangible and living experience. Students visit the exhibition and get a closer look at the artifacts An Innovative Experience: Connecting with the Past through Sports The “Sports Meet in the Forbidden City” series, a newly developed educational program by the Palace Museum, drew inspiration from ancient texts and paintings. Combining lectures with outdoor activities, the courses allowed students to experience traditional sports through games and competitions. This summer, the program featured four classic Chinese sports: chuiwan (a game similar to golf), touhu (a game of throwing arrows into a pot), dragon boat racing, and martial arts. After learning about the history of these activities, students gathered in the Palace Museum’s Archery Pavilion area. They practiced their swings in chuiwan, channeling the “golfing fever” of the past. They took on the role of ancient scholar-officials, experiencing the blend of ceremony and skill in touhu. A simulated dragon boat race relived the excitement of ancient tournaments. In a martial arts session, students practiced fundamental moves like the horse stance and punch, showing their own unique take on this traditional practice. Students have fun at a sport meet held in the Forbidden City Looking Ahead: Bringing Cultural Heritage to Life The Palace Museum Knowledge Program, a long-standing educational initiative, continued in the summer of 2025 to explore new approaches to museum learning, especially in the lead-up to the museum’s centennial. Through hands-on workshops, direct engagement with artifacts, and an outdoor sport meet, the program extended learning beyond the classroom. The complementary online video series, which featured content and lengths tailored for today’s social media platforms, helped make cultural and historical learning accessible to a wider audience online. Students engage in the online program The Palace Museum’s educators remain dedicated to preserving cultural heritage while exploring innovative ways to bring traditions to life. In the future, the museum will continue to develop diverse educational programs to foster a deeper connection between the public and fine traditional Chinese culture.

To celebrate the first anniversary of the inscription of the Beijing Central Axis on the UNESCO World Heritage List, the exhibition “Imprints of a World Heritage Site: Beijing Central Axis in Seal Carving – Palace Museum Edition” opened on the afternoon of July 27, 2025, at the Palace Museum’s Hall of Literary Brilliance (Wenhua dian). Jointly organized by the Palace Museum, the Beijing Central Axis Protection Foundation, and Gehua Media Group, the exhibition highlights the cultural significance of the Beijing Central Axis, which has run through the heart of the ancient capital for over 700 years. Through a dialogue between imperial seal traditions and contemporary creations by ordinary citizens, the exhibition uses the compact form of seal carving to illustrate the historical depth and enduring vitality of the Beijing Central Axis. Distinguished guests attending 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; Du Haijiang, vice president and secretary of the CPC Leadership Group of the Palace Museum; Li Shouzhen, president of the Chinese Workers’ Association for Culture and Sports; Zhang Lixin, director of the Beijing Municipal Cultural Heritage Bureau; Mei Song, deputy chair and secretary general of the Beijing Central Axis Protection Foundation; Qi Yongqing, deputy Party secretary and chief legal advisor of Gehua Media Group; Luo Pengpeng, honorary director of the Seal Carving Institute at the Chinese National Academy of Arts; Rong Tie, former deputy director general of the Department of Culture of Xizang Autonomous Region, vice president of the Central Academy of Fine Arts of the China Democratic League, and a member of the Xiling Seal Engravers’ Society; and Li Danyang, art director at Gehua Media Group. On July 27, 2024, UNESCO announced the inscription of the “Beijing Central Axis: A Building Ensemble Exhibiting the Ideal Order of the Chinese Capital” on its list at the 46th session of the UNESCO World Heritage Committee. General Secretary Xi Jinping gave important instructions, emphasizing the need to “preserve the country’s cultural and natural treasures and renew their glamour in the new era.” This exhibition is a direct response to that call. Inspired by the popular art of seal carving, the exhibition aims to promote the creative transformation and innovative development of fine traditional Chinese culture. At the opening ceremony, Du Haijiang emphasized that the Palace Museum, as a key site on the Beijing Central Axis, bears the responsibility of preserving and promoting the traditional Chinese culture embodied within its walls. For this exhibition, the Museum has selected 20 imperial seals from its collection to be displayed alongside seal carvings created by the public, enabling a dialogue across centuries between tradition and innovation and showcasing the enduring vitality of Chinese civilization. “We hope visitors can feel the cultural pulse where the old meets the new through these works,” Du said. In his remarks, Zhang Lixin noted that the inclusion of the Beijing Central Axis in the World Heritage List in 2024 underscores its significance as a symbol of Chinese civilization. “It is our duty to protect, inherit, and make good use of this cultural axis that embodies the wisdom and memory of the Chinese nation. This exhibition captures not only the tangible heritage of the Beijing Central Axis but also its enduring cultural connotation,” he said. Luo Pengpeng highlighted the exhibition’s “people-centered” philosophy. Participants of the exhibition include professional seal carvers, students of all ages, and researchers, whose works reflect the public’s deep affection for the Beijing Central Axis. The chance to showcase their creations alongside imperial seals from the Palace Museum’s collection is also a testament to how cultural heritage protection in the new era is empowering cultural confidence and bringing people together through shared history and innovation. The exhibition is divided into two main sections, featuring 200 public seal-carving works and 20 Qing dynasty (1644-1911) imperial seals, creating a cultural dialogue across time. Public Seal Carving: A New Chapter for the Beijing Central Axis More than 200 seals created by artists as well as ordinary people from all walks of life including students, teachers, and workers are displayed at this section. Using seal carving as a medium, these works connect the 15 key heritage sites along the Beijing Central Axis, from Yongding Gate to the Drum and Bell Towers. Combining traditional seal-carving techniques with modern materials such as glass microspheres, light-sensitive resin, and fiberglass, many of the works also incorporate AI design and 3D printing, demonstrating how this ancient art form continues to evolve with the times. Palace Seals: Echoes of the Forbidden City This section features 20 imperial seals from the Qing dynasty, selected from the Palace Museum’s collection. These include seals used in state affairs, seals for authentication of calligraphy and painting by emperors and empresses, and personal seals. Nearly half of these items were last shown to the public in 2008. The inscriptions and craftsmanship of these seals offer insight into the imperial culture and legacy of Chinese seal carving. A 7.8-meter-long miniature model of the Beijing Central Axis distills the grandeur of the capital’s historical backbone into a compact form. A multimedia installation, “Time Capsule of the Beijing Central Axis,” allows visitors to explore the historical evolution of the Axis in an immersive manner. In a creative twist, the exhibition also features two sand paintings created by kindergarten teachers and students. With grains of sand, they render the impressive silhouette of the Beijing Central Axis and the upturning eaves and exquisite bracket sets of the Hall of Supreme Harmony (Taihe dian). These joyful contributions are not only reflective of young minds’ reverence for Chinese civilization but also highlight the vibrant interplay between traditional and contemporary art forms. Moreover, the bookstore at the Hall of Literary Brilliance (Wenhua dian) is proud to stock new publications including Marking the Central Axis of Beijing: A Public Seal Carving Collection, Eighteen Lessons in Public Seal Carving, and City Walks: Beijing Central Axis Exhibition Guide, a bilingual illustrated guidebook that serves as a pocket-sized travel companion for discovering this cultural landmark. From the majestic imperial seals of ancient palaces to contemporary creations by the public, this exhibition uses the language of seal carving to bring the history and vitality of the Beijing Central Axis to life. It is not only a celebration of cultural heritage shared by all, but also a conversation across time and space. Visitors are warmly invited to experience the enduring legacy and renewed brilliance of Chinese civilization, right here at the Palace Museum’s Hall of Literary Brilliance. Time: July 27 – September 12, 2025 Venue: Hall of Literary Brilliance (Wenhua dian) at the Palace Museum Reservation：Visitors may make real-name reservations through the Palace Museum’s multilingual website (https://bookingticket.dpm.org.cn).

Dear visitors, We would like to inform you that the Palace of Great Benevolence located in the area of the Six Eastern Palaces will be temporarily closed on July 30, 2025 for maintenance purposes. ‌Please check for future announcements regarding the reopening time. We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause and appreciate your understanding during this time. The Palace Museum July 29, 2025

On July 8, the Palace Museum held a ceremony to mark the launch of the English and Traditional Chinese versions of its youth website and the opening of the 2025 “Culture + Technology Training Camp” for young cultural professionals from Hong Kong and the Palace Museum. As the summer vacation begins, the Palace Museum aims to enrich young people’s cultural experiences through both online and offline activities. The event was organized by the Palace Museum and exclusively sponsored by the Institute of Philanthropy (IoP). Among the guests attending were Lou Wei, executive deputy director of the Palace Museum, Ann Kung Yeung Yun Chi, deputy chairman of IoP and Trustee of The Hong Kong Jockey Club Charities Trust, Huang Yulong, director of the Academy of Translation and Interpretation of China International Communications Group (CICG), and Eunice Chan Yin Ting, assistant director of the Office of the Government of the HKSAR in Beijing. In his address, Lou Wei noted that the Palace Museum stands as a brilliant testament to millennia of Chinese civilization, serving as a vital bridge that connects generations with their cultural heritage. General Secretary Xi Jinping has said that “In the drive to advance the building of a strong country and the realization of national rejuvenation through Chinese modernization, there is much that young people can achieve.” He encouraged young people to make full use of the Palace Museum’s resources to learn about traditional culture, gain knowledge and confidence, and take an active role in preserving and sharing this heritage. He also expressed hope that their skills and fresh ideas would help advance the development of culture and technology. Lou Wei, executive deputy director of the Palace Museum, delivers a speech in Beijing, July 8, 2025. Ann Kung Yeung Yun Chi said that the launch of the website’s English and Traditional Chinese versions represents a key milestone in the five-year partnership between the Institute of Philanthropy and the Palace Museum. She hoped the interactive website would help young people worldwide learn about and engagingly appreciate the vastness of Chinese culture. She also encouraged the participants of the inaugural “Culture + Technology Training Camp” to seize this valuable opportunity to explore how digital technologies can be applied to cultural heritage preservation and promotion, and to contribute to innovation and integration in the cultural and tourism industry. Ann Kung Yeung Yun Chi, deputy chairman of IoP and Trustee of The Hong Kong Jockey Club Charities Trust, delivers a speech in Beijing, July 8, 2025. The Palace Museum’s youth website, first launched in 2015, focuses on delivering knowledge in engaging ways tailored for young audiences. It offers hand-drawn illustrations, interactive tour routes, games, micro-animations, audio-visual content, and digital notebooks, creating an educational and entertaining platform on Chinese traditional culture. Professional teams from the CICG Academy of Translation and Interpretation translated the newly-launched English and Traditional Chinese versions. They developed tailored translation strategies accounting for linguistic and contextual differences to reach multiple target audiences. Key content from the simplified Chinese version of the youth website, including news, visitor guides, exhibitions, architecture, collections, and court history, has been made accessible in both English and Traditional Chinese. The 2025 “Culture + Technology Training Camp” focuses on talent development, recruiting young cultural practitioners from four Hong Kong universities and the Palace Museum for a training program centered on the theme of culture and technology. The camp features lectures from experts, field studies, group discussions, and workshops designed to promote traditional Chinese culture, cultivating professionals with global perspectives and innovative capabilities in cultural and technological integration. This training camp is part of the five-year collaborative initiative “Promotion of Chinese Culture and Arts Tech Talent Development in the Mainland and Hong Kong” between the Palace Museum and the IoP. The inaugural camp will run from July 7 to August 3, 2025. Guests and participants of the training camp pose for a group photo in Beijing, July 8, 2025. Looking ahead, the Palace Museum will continue to leverage its extensive cultural resources, deepen the integration of culture and technology, and develop new approaches to promote traditional Chinese culture. By doing so, it aims to nurture more professionals with strong expertise and creativity in cultural communication and technology.