The Palace Museum, the world-famous museum based in the Forbidden City in Beijing, is opening a branch in the coastal city of Xiamen, Fujian province, in May to house its collection of foreign artifacts.
A first batch of 219 exhibits arrived at their new home on Xiamen’s Gulangyu Island on April 10.
Experts examine a vase, which will be exhibited at the Palace Museum’s new branch in Xiamen, Fujian province. [Photo/xmnn.cn]
Selected from the Palace Museum’s prodigious imperial collections from the Ming and Qing dynasties (1368-1911), the artifacts originated from a dozen different countries and regions, including the US, Japan, Korea, and Europe, and cover a wide range of areas, from lacquer ware and ceramics, to paintings and books, to sculptures, furniture and scientific instruments.
A clock made of wood and lacquer in the shape of a birdcage, one of the new exhibits at the Palace Museum’s Xiamen branch. [Photo/xmnn.cn]
Representing a high level of artistic achievement and serving as a manifestation of cultural exchange between east and west, these relics were previously hidden in the storage of the Palace Museum for many years.
A vase of blue field and floral patterns, soon to be displayed at the museum on Gulangyu Island in Xiamen, Fujian province. [Photo/xmnn.cn]
China announced and implemented on May 15 a policy allowing visa-free entry of foreign tourist groups aboard cruise ships via all cruise ship ports along the country's coastline.
China and Georgia are set to waive visa requirements for travelers starting May 28.
