The Palace Museum has attracted millions of visitors from home and abroad since it was opened to the public in 1925. [Wang Jing / China Daily]

History and splendor fascinate new generation

Oct 10, 1925. The day that China opened the door to arguably its most mysterious treasure: the Forbidden City.

After serving as a home to 24 emperors during the Ming (1368-1644) and Qing (1644-1911) dynasties, as well as a political and ceremonial center for 500 years, the huge complex was opened to the public.

"On the first day, tens of thousands of citizens desperate to see the imperial home and treasures flooded in," historian Wu Ying wrote at the time. "It was so crowded, some people were unable to move for two hours and missed the opening ceremony."

Today, the Forbidden City stirs just as much curiosity - and, at times, controversy.

After a turbulent 2011, new curator Shan Jixiang on Feb 14 revealed how the museum plans to cope with the challenges of the modern age: open more areas to handle more visitors and better protect its relics.

"It's going to be a challenge," Shan told reporters at a news conference. "We can't solve the problems (we have) by simply raising the price (of admittance) and shutting out tourists."

Since inviting the public in to enjoy its architecture and vast collection of antiquities, the Palace Museum has been one of Beijing's most popular destinations. (The museum was closed during the War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression (1937-45) and the "cultural revolution" (1966-76).)

Last year, the museum received a record-breaking 14.2 million visitors from home and abroad, twice the amount that passed through its doors in 2002. And the figure is expected to increase by 10 percent this year.

However, the sheer numbers of people who are arriving at one time are causing concern among experts about the damage that is being done to the relic, a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1987.

On Oct 4, during the National Day holiday, a peak time for visitors, the museum admitted more than 142,000 people - almost five times the ideal volume set by the museum.

To address the problem, Shan said the governing body will increase the space that is open to the public from 46 percent to 76 percent. This will not only feed visitors' curiosity, but also spread them out so they are not putting too much stress on one particular area.

At the moment, the buildings on the Forbidden City's central axis, between the north and south gates, see the most traffic, including Hall of Supreme Harmony, one of Asia's major oriental palaces.

The new moves will open up more of the two large wings, which already boast exhibition halls filled with jewels and classic paintings. And when repairs are completed, the museum's administrative offices and research facilities will also be moved away from the "red wall zone", the core of the palace, says Shan.

When architects drew their plans for the Forbidden City, built in the 15th century, they did not plan on its passageways being traversed by thousands of people. It was designed to be a royal home. It has narrow, winding corridors that can handle just a handful of people at a time - sometimes even just one person.

"Yet, these are not obstacles," says Zhang Shuwei, director of Beijing Art Museum, who adds that with sufficient resources, the dangers of wear and tear can be reduced.

He welcomed the decision to open more rooms to the public, but urged the museum's governing body to do more to ensure its treasures are preserved, such as boosting crowd control and making better use of surveillance technology.

"Expanding the display area is the first of many steps that are needed to enhance the museum's development," Zhang says. "This is a good sign."

After the revolution of 1911, Pu Yi (1906-67), the last Qing emperor, was allowed to remain in the Forbidden City until 1924, when he was finally expelled by Feng Yuxiang during a coup. Yet, it was not until New China was established in 1949 that the complex was converted into the Palace Museum.

In 2002, the governing body launched an 18-year restoration project to repair and restore its buildings to their pre-1912 state. At the time, just 30 percent of the museum was open to the public. "Some parts are still closed to visitors because they are under renovation or are being used as administrative areas and storerooms," says Luo Zhewen, an expert at the State Administration of Cultural Heritage. "The renovation is the main reason. We have to be really careful about it," he added.

Zhang at the Beijing Art Museum says: "In a way, the Forbidden City is in the process of being returned to the people. It used to be the symbol of imperial power, but now it serves people from all over the world."

Among the new sections that will be opened to the public is the Jianfu Palace Garden, the source of much controversy last year when museum insiders revealed there were plans to turn it into a private club for China's rich elite. Shan, who was named the museum's new curator last month, dismissed the idea, saying that the area will be used for small exhibitions and seminars.

On May 11 last year, police announced that they had captured the thief who had stolen nine precious items from a temporary exhibition at the museum. He had been on the run for 58 hours.

Shi Baikui, a 27-year-old farmer from Shandong province, had managed to flee with gold purses and jewel-encrusted cosmetics cases, despite a security force of 240 people, 10 sniffer dogs, at least 1,600 alarms, 3,700 smoke detectors and 400 surveillance cameras.

It proved the beginning of a difficult time for the managers of one of the world's most famous museums. On May 13, two days after Shi was detained, a banner presented to Beijing's public security bureau by the Palace Museum in thanks for their work in catching the thief was criticized when people noticed that one of the Chinese characters was incorrect.

The museum initially refused to admit the mistake. However, three days later, it issued an apology, saying the banner had been made by workers from the security department and had not been approved beforehand by the leadership.