Restoration fit for an emperor
Print Edition
The only Western-style building in China’s Palace Museum, also known as the Forbidden City, a vast former imperial palace, is to undergo an 18-month renovation.
Built in 1915, the Baoyun Building encompasses three 2-story buildings and a gate from the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911).
It covers about 1,650 square meters and has been used to store numerous relics, thus the name “Baoyun,” which literally means “treasure containing.”
At yesterday’s launch ceremony for the repair project, museum curator Shan Jixiang noted the damage of varying degrees suffered by Baoyun’s tiles, wooden structures, exterior and interior decorations, paintings and floors, stressing that “scientific and discreet renovation is urgently needed.”
Shan said repair technicians will stick to the principle of “not altering the original state of cultural relics,” and will try their best to use original methods and materials.
After the planned completion in May 2015, Baoyun will mainly be used for exhibitions, while some areas will be set aside for cultural research and academic exchanges, Shan said.
Renovation of Baoyun is part of a larger repair and construction movement that will cover some 13,025 square meters in the museum’s western area.
Shan said the overall project, due to wrap up in March 2016, is based on historical records, experts’ advice and designs of similar areas in the museum.
Located in the heart of Beijing, the Forbidden City was home to China’s emperors and the highest center of power for about 500 years.
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