Culture> Heritage

Journeying inside the walls of the Forbidden City

( cntv.cn ) Updated: 2014-05-28 15:00:48

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As the world marks International Museum Day, CCTV News reporter Fei Ye sits down for an interview with the person in charge of one of the world's most iconic museums. Shan Jixiang, the director of Beijing's Forbidden City, talks about the challenges the Palace Museum faces, as well as the international exchanges it has engaged in. And, for the first time, Shan addresses some of the misconceptions people have about the museum.

"Your background is in conservation and planning of historical cities and cultural heritage, how did that skill set come into use when you took this position?" Fei Ye asked.

"I came here in 2012. I studied achitecture, but managing the Forbidden City is a very complex task with a lot of challenges." Shan Jixiang said, "Things like security, fire safety, infrastructure, displays, and exhibitions, these must remain our highest focus. Protecting one of the world's most sophisticated heritage sites and the largest wooden complex of ancient buildings that house priceless collections, comes with great responsibility."

"Forbidden city was the imperial court for the Ming and Qing dynasties but people feel it can't really compare to the Taipei Palace Museum's collections. Can you explain this to us?" Fei Ye asked.

"We have a total of almost 2 million heritage collections, covering all categories of ancient Chinese culture including painting, ceramics, bronzewares, jade, gold, silver, furniture and many more. Before 1949, the Nationalists took just 5 percent of the palace's collection, they have much less than we do, but why do people still say that the Museum in Taipei has more artifacts? Well, it's because first we have been establishing our inventory and restoring in the past, which we just finished and just started to put everything on display. Second we are more spread out. It's not just artifacts people come here to see but also buildings and the architecture. There are relics everywhere in the Forbidden City. In Taipei, they only display about 3000 artifacts year round while we display 9000. When people visit the Forbidden City, they usually walk through the central axis from south to north, but you won't cover much through this route. To see the entire palace, it would take more than just one visit. Therefore, in comparison, the Taipei Palace Museum is much more concentrated with all its relics in one place." Shan Jixiang said.