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

During the 2024 Spring Festival holiday, the opening hours of the Palace Museum are as follows: Closed on February 9th (Chinese New Year’s Eve). Open daily from February 10th to 17th (the first day to the eighth day of the first lunar month) from 8:30 am to 4:30 pm, with the last entry at 3:30 pm.                       The Palace Museum                        January 26th, 2024

“Historic Encounters: Interaction Between China and West Asia,” “The Glory of Ancient Persia,” and “Al Ula, Wonder of Arabia” Navigate the course of civilizational progress through exchanges and mutual learning

The “AlUla, Wonder of Arabia” exhibition opened at the West Wing of the Tower Gallery, Meridian Gate (Wu men) on January 6, and will run through March 22. Co-organized by the Royal Commission for AlUla and the Palace Museum, with support from the French Agency for AlUla Development, the exhibition features over 230 exhibits that immerse visitors in the grandeur of AlUla’s desert landscapes, river valleys, and oases, alongside its rich historical and cultural legacy. On the morning of January 5, the exhibition’s opening ceremony was held at the West Wing of the Tower Gallery in the Meridian Gate (Wu men) of the Palace Museum. The ceremony was presided over by Wang Yuegong, deputy director of the Palace Museum. Abdulrahman Altrairi, chief of communications and PR of the Royal Commission for AlUla, Simond de Galbert, first counselor at the French Embassy in China, and Lou Wei, executive deputy director of the Palace Museum, delivered speeches. The exhibition was officially opened by Wang Xudong, director of the Palace Museum, Xie Bing, deputy director of the National Cultural Heritage Administration, Abdulrahman Altrairi, and Simond de Galbert. Guests included Ambassador Li Lianhe from the Department of West Asian and North African Affairs at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Xie Bing, deputy director of the National Cultural Heritage Administration, Xu Rong, deputy director of the Bureau of International Exchange and Cooperation of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, and Du Haijiang, Party secretary and deputy director of the Palace Museum. Ambassadors and diplomatic representatives from Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Oman, Palestine, Bahrain, Qatar, and Kuwait, as well as the French Ambassador to Saudi Arabia, representatives from the Royal Commission for AlUla and the French Agency for AlUla Development, and representatives from museums and the cultural circle in Beijing, also attended the opening ceremony. China and Saudi Arabia sit at opposite ends of Asia. For a long time, West Asian civilization and East Asia civilization have played significant roles in shaping the world. The Silk Road, which connected Asia, Africa, and Europe, was forged by the combined efforts of the people of East Asia and West Asia, facilitating cultural exchanges across the region and even between Asia, Africa and Europe. The exhibition “AlUla, Wonder of Arabia” tells the 7,000-year-old story of human settlement in AlUla, a city in the northwest of Saudi Arabia. Located 1,100 kilometers northwest of the capital city Riyadh, AlUla is a valley oasis in a vast desert. Its abundant water resources and extensive farmlands made it a haven for human life. AlUla was not only an important stop on the Arabian Peninsula’s Spice Route but also a key passage for pilgrims traveling to Mecca and Medina. The site contains numerous archaeological sites dating back to 5200 BC, including the Neolithic period’s Mustatil, a rectangular structure, the ancient kingdoms of Dadan and Lihyan of northern Arabia, the city of Hegra during the Nabataean Kingdom and the Roman empire period, the Umayyad site of Qurh, and the old town of AlUla. Today, AlUla remains vibrant and open to visitors worldwide. The exhibition is divided into four sections: “From Prehistory to the Bronze Age,” “Northern Arabian Kingdoms,” “Script and Language,” and “Modern AlUla,” illustrating how humans have adapted and transformed this harsh environment to create wonders. The Palace Museum’s mission is to foster cross-cultural understanding and dialogue by showcasing ancient cultures and histories. This exhibition allows Chinese people and visitors from around the world to learn more about Saudi Arabia, strengthening friendship between the two nations. It also contributes to promoting the Belt and Road Initiative and building a global community of shared future.

The Palace Museum and China Siyuan Foundation reached a framework agreement on December 21 to enhance cooperation on traditional Chinese culture. The signing ceremony was attended by Wang Xudong, director of the Palace Museum; Zhu Hongwen, deputy director of the Palace Museum; Wang Yuegong, deputy director of the Palace Museum; Li Xiaolin, vice chairman and secretary-general of China Siyuan Foundation; Xu Hongying, a member of the Party Leadership Group and deputy director of the Liaoning Provincial Department of Culture and Tourism; Chen Yaodong, deputy secretary-general of the Liaoning Provincial Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, full-time vice chairman of the Liaoning Provincial Committee of the China National Democratic Construction Association (CNDCA), and chairman of the Work Committee for Department Directly Under the Liaoning Provincial Committee of the CNDCA; Chen Xizhe, full-time deputy secretary of the Committee on Education of the Jilin Provincial Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC) and a member of the Party Leadership Group of the Jilin Provincial Department of Education; Wang Lu, head of the Border Villages Work Team in Jilin Province, and other officials and guests. Yan Hongbin, president of the Palace Museum Institute, presided over the ceremony. In her speech, Zhu Hongwen lauded the Palace Museum’s commitment to cultural education, which has inspired young people to celebrate fine traditional Chinese culture. The Palace Museum and China Siyuan Foundation will cooperate to address a shortage of traditional cultural resources available to primary and secondary schools in underdeveloped areas. Their collaboration involves the facilitation of high-quality traditional cultural education courses that integrate the features of the Palace Museum, teacher training, and opportunities for young people to learn at the Palace Museum. This initiative will contribute to the rural revitalization drive, while boosting cultural confidence, promoting cultural prosperity, and enhancing cultural development. (Zhu Hongwen, deputy director of the Palace Museum, delivers a speech at the signing ceremony of the framework agreement between the Palace Museum and China Siyuan Foundation in Beijing, Dec. 21, 2023.) Li Xiaolin highlighted that over the years, China Siyuan Foundation has been actively collaborating with various sectors of society, including the Palace Museum, to inherit, protect, and promote fine traditional Chinese culture. A series of public welfare projects have been implemented, such as the provision of books about the Palace Museum for rural school children, introducing lessons on intangible cultural heritage and calligraphy into schools, and carrying out cultural relic protection plans. All have achieved significant results. Furthermore, in response to the demand for traditional cultural education in primary and secondary schools, China Siyuan Foundation has strengthened its efforts to promote the balanced and high-quality development of traditional cultural education. By cooperating with the Palace Museum, China Siyuan Foundation aims to fully integrate fine traditional Chinese culture into education. The goal is to help students in underdeveloped areas access fine traditional Chinese culture, nurture souls and cultivate minds, and foster a sense of national pride and identity. (Li Xiaolin, vice chairman and secretary-general of China Siyuan Foundation, delivers a speech at the signing ceremony of the framework agreement between the Palace Museum and China Siyuan Foundation in Beijing, Dec. 21, 2023.) Chen Xizhe, representing the beneficiary regions, expressed gratitude for the donation from the Palace Museum and China Siyuan Foundation, highlighting its significance in showing care for children in border areas and supporting educational and social undertakings in remote and ethnic minority regions. The donation includes educational programs aimed at aiding schools to inspire students to pursue their dreams. Going forward, relevant parties will strictly adhere to regulations and management practices to ensure the proper use of these resources. The aim is to effectively promote traditional Chinese culture in schools, and contribute to the high-quality development of education in Jilin province. (Chen Xizhe, full-time deputy secretary of the Committee on Education of the CPC Jilin Provincial Committee and a member of the Party Leadership Group of the Jilin Provincial Department of Education, delivers a speech at the signing ceremony of the framework agreement between the Palace Museum and China Siyuan Foundation in Beijing, Dec. 21, 2023.) Also on behalf of the beneficiary regions, Liu Chuanlu, deputy mayor of Xiuyan county in Anshan city, Liaoning province said in his speech that the donation injected new vitality into the educational development of Xiuyan. He emphasized that all schools should organize and make thoughtful use of the provided courses, and summarize and accumulate teaching experience. This effort will help to develop an education system to equip students with an all-round moral, intellectual, physical, and aesthetic grounding, thereby contributing to their future development. (Liu Chuanlu, deputy mayor of Xiuyan county of Anshan city in Liaoning province, delivers a speech at the signing ceremony of the framework agreement between the Palace Museum and China Siyuan Foundation in Beijing, Dec. 21, 2023.) Under the agreement, both parties commit to the principles of mutual benefit, long-term cooperation, and leveraging complementary strengths. They will jointly undertake public welfare projects to enhance cultural education resources to help students improve their cultural knowledge and  develop their skills. Through immersive and exploratory learning, their collaboration aims to enhance the teaching environment, enrich educational resources and educate young people to appreciate and spread fine traditional Chinese culture in regions lacking traditional cultural education resources and facing difficulties in implementing the policy to promote fine traditional Chinese culture into schools.