2025 marks the 100th anniversary of the founding of the Palace Museum. The special exhibition "A Century of Guardianship: From the Forbidden City to the Palace Museum" officially opened at the Palace Museum on the afternoon of September 29th and will be open to the public in the Meridian Gate Exhibition Hall on September 30th. Divided into three sections, "A Continuous Cultural Root," "A Century of Heritage," and "A Myriad of Visions," the exhibition features 200 cultural relics (sets) that offer a three-dimensional illustration of the outstanding continuity, innovation, unity, inclusiveness, and peace inherent in Chinese civilization. It comprehensively showcases the Palace Museum's development journey from its inception to its tortuous growth, from difficult steps to rapid progress, and from exploration to incisive innovation.
The Paper observed that the exhibition also featured important cultural relics, including the Eastern Jin Dynasty's "Bo Yuan Tie," the Tang Dynasty's "Five Oxen," the Northern Song Dynasty's "Along the River During the Qingming Festival," Zhang Zeduan's "Along the River During the Qingming Festival," Huang Tingjian's "A Letter to the Elders," and the Lotus and Crane Square Pot. The "Along the River During the Qingming Festival" was last publicly exhibited in 2015, a decade ago.
A partial view of the exhibition of the Northern Song Dynasty painting Along the River During the Qingming Festival
Wang Xudong, member of the Party Leadership Group of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism and Director of the Palace Museum, Rao Quan, Vice Minister of Culture and Tourism and Director of the State Administration of Cultural Heritage, Zheng Xinmiao, former Director of the Palace Museum, and Shan Jixiang, former Director of the Palace Museum, attended the opening ceremony of the exhibition that day.
On October 10, 1925, the Palace Museum was established. This former imperial palace, once a forbidden garden for the Ming and Qing dynasties, was transformed into a cultural sanctuary open to the public. Born during a period of national turmoil, the early Palace Museum overcame extreme difficulties brought about by institutional reform and socioeconomic backwardness, and successfully organized the relocation of cultural relics southward during the War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression. After the founding of the People's Republic of China, with the care and support of the Party and the government, the Palace Museum ushered in a new chapter in its development. The restoration and preservation of ancient buildings progressed steadily, the management system for its collections continued to improve, and its exhibitions continued to expand. During the period of reform and opening up, the Palace Museum gradually improved its supporting infrastructure and continuously developed its systems for the collection, preservation, research, exhibition, and dissemination of its cultural relics. Entering the new century, the Palace Museum launched its largest-ever comprehensive restoration and preservation project since its founding, as well as a seven-year cultural relic cleaning effort, promoting the complete preservation of the Forbidden City and promoting rapid development across its various initiatives. As a devoted practitioner of the Global Civilization Initiative, the Palace Museum is committed to building itself into a world-class museum, a model for the preservation of world cultural heritage, a leader in the integration of culture and tourism, and a welcoming hall for Chinese culture, promoting exchange and mutual learning among civilizations. The Palace Museum, ancient yet youthful and full of vitality, is radiating the glory of a new era.
Exhibition at the Palace Museum
According to the Palace Museum, the exhibition "A Century of Guarding - From the Forbidden City to the Palace Museum" is themed on the history of the Palace Museum. It uses a narrative method that combines the light and dark lines of cultural relics and archives to systematically present the rich connotations of the Forbidden City as an important carrier of China's 5,000-year civilization, a gathering place for China's excellent traditional culture, a historical witness to the exchange and integration of multiple cultures, and the wisdom and creation of ancient working people.
From "One Thread of Literature" to "Ten Thousand Elements"
The Paper saw at the scene that the exhibition is divided into three chapters: "One Cultural Lineage", "Century-old Heritage" and "Myriad Scenes", and 200 pieces (sets) of cultural relics are carefully selected for exhibition.
The exhibition hall in the West Wing of the Meridian Gate, themed "A Continuous Cultural Heritage," is divided into three sections: "Eternal Treasures of the Heavenly Abundance," "The First Opening of the Forbidden City," and "The New Life of the Palace Museum." It systematically illustrates the succession, preservation, and utilization of Chinese imperial collections, revealing the continuity of Chinese civilization. It also recreates historical events such as the founding of the Palace Museum, the adoption of a comprehensive conservation plan for the Palace Museum, the southward migration of its cultural relics, and the surveying of the Central Axis, vividly illustrating the Palace Museum's early arduous explorations in cultural relic preservation and research.
The exhibition hall in the main hall of the Meridian Gate is themed "A Century of Heritage" and is divided into three sections: "The Confluence of National Treasures," "The Rediscovery of Antiquities," and "The Splendor of the Palace." It recounts the history of the Palace Museum's collection system through the perspectives of repurchase, transfer, and donation, showcasing the historical, artistic, and scientific value of the museum's artifacts. The exhibition showcases the skills of calligraphy and painting reproduction and artifact restoration, comprehensively illustrating the inheritance of cultural relic preservation techniques. It also showcases innovative practices in the preservation and restoration of ancient buildings, including the interior renovations of the Ningshou Palace and the Hall of Mental Cultivation, the major renovations of the Hall of Supreme Harmony, and the application of the Palace Museum and Beijing's Central Axis for World Heritage status. The Meridian Gate exhibition hall houses several first-class cultural relics, such as the "Bo Yuan Tie" (Letter to the Emperor Bo Yuan) and the "Along the River During the Qingming Festival." This relatively spacious exhibition space provides ample viewing space for visitors.
The exhibition hall of the East Wing Building of the Meridian Gate is themed "Myriad Aspects" and is divided into three parts: "Continuation of Civilization", "Composition of Splendor" and "Full of Harmony". It systematically demonstrates the important cultural function played by the Palace Museum in adhering to the requirements of the development of the times, deeply exploring and explaining the outstanding characteristics of the 5,000-year-old Chinese civilization carried by the Palace Museum and its contemporary value, and in forging a strong sense of community for the Chinese nation, practicing the global civilization initiative and building a community with a shared future for mankind.
From "A Continuous Cultural Heritage" to "A Century of Heritage," and then to "A Thousand Visions," the three chapters of the exhibition together depict the Palace Museum's magnificent century of weathering storms, carrying forward the past, forging ahead, and upholding integrity and innovation. They embody the collaborative strength of all sectors of society. We hope that this exhibition will provide visitors with rich spiritual nourishment and intellectual enlightenment, enhance their understanding of the Forbidden City and the Palace Museum, and inspire more people to identify with the values of Chinese civilization, thereby deepening their cultural confidence and allowing the national wisdom embodied in cultural relics to become a spiritual bond connecting history and the future and building social consensus.
Fine works such as "Five Oxen" and "Along the River During the Qingming Festival" are presented
The exhibition features "Five Oxen," the oldest surviving Chinese painting on paper. Created by Han Huang during the Tang Dynasty, it dates back over 1,200 years. The work, measuring 20.8 cm in height and 139.8 cm in width, is currently housed in the Palace Museum.
The scroll depicts five oxen in various poses: some walking, some standing, some grazing, some looking forward, some licking their tongues, some ambling, and some scratching themselves against a bramble bush. The story of "Five Oxen" is a storied one. It once passed through the imperial court of the Southern Song Dynasty, passed through the hands of Zhao Bo'ang and Zhao Mengfu during the Yuan Dynasty, and was collected by Xiang Yuanbian and others during the Ming Dynasty. Finally, it entered the imperial collection of the Qing Dynasty. In 1900, during the looting of the Forbidden City by the Eight-Nation Alliance, "Five Oxen" was looted and taken abroad, where it remained lost for 50 years. In the 1950s, the painting reappeared at auction in Hong Kong. Upon learning of it, Premier Zhou Enlai immediately ordered its return at all costs. Upon its return, the work was in dilapidated condition. Mr. Sun Chengzhi, a picture mounting expert at the Palace Museum's Cultural Relics Restoration Factory, spent eight months meticulously restoring it to perfection.
The last time "Five Oxen" was publicly displayed was at the "Road to Return" special exhibition held at the National Museum of China in 2019.
Detail of Along the River During the Qingming Festival
The exhibition features "Along the River During the Qingming Festival," a long scroll of genre painting by the Northern Song Dynasty painter Zhang Zeduan. It vividly captures the cityscape of Bianjing, the capital of the Northern Song Dynasty, and the lives of people from all walks of life. "Along the River During the Qingming Festival" was last on public display in 2015.
Exhibition site of Along the River During the Qingming Festival (detail)
"Bo Yuan Tie" is a running script calligraphy work by Wang Xun, a calligrapher from the Eastern Jin Dynasty. It is recognized by the academic community today as the only authentic calligraphy work of a famous calligrapher from the Eastern Jin Dynasty that has been handed down. It is known as one of the "Three Rare Ties" and the first of the "Top Ten Famous Calligraphy Works Handed Down in China" together with "Kuaixue Shiqing Tie" and "Zhongqiu Tie".
Exhibition site of "Bo Yuan Tie"
"Letter to the Venerables" is a cursive-script handscroll of the sayings of the Five Dynasties monk Wen Yi, written by the Northern Song calligrapher Huang Tingjian. It was copied by Huang Tingjian for his friend Li Rendao. There is a self-signed note in large regular script at the end of the scroll, which blends cursive and regular scripts. The brushwork is unrestrained and bold, reflecting his calligraphy style in his later years.
The exhibition of "Letters to All Elders"
Other important artifacts on display include a lotus and crane square pot, a late Ming Dynasty You Kan-marked rhinoceros horn cup with lotus and mandarin duck designs, and the Twenty-Five Imperial Seals of the Qing Dynasty. These are the twenty-five imperial seals designated by Emperor Qianlong of the Qing Dynasty as representing state power. They symbolize imperial power and the lifeblood of the nation and are now treasured in the collection of the Palace Museum in Beijing. They represent the only complete and well-established set of imperial seals in Chinese history.
Exhibition of the Twenty-Five Seals
A Late Ming and Early Qing Dynasty Rhinoceros Horn Cup Carved with Hibiscus and Mandarin Ducks, Marked by You Kan
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The exhibition "A Century of Guarding: From the Forbidden City to the Palace Museum" will run from September 30 to December 30, 2025. Tickets will not be sold separately; admission is by reservation only, which can be made through the "Palace Museum" WeChat mini-program.
