Director of Palace Museum shares insights on cultural preservation and restoration

Shan Jixiang, director of the Palace Museum in Beijing, delivers a speech on cultural preservation and restoration in Ningbo, Zhejiang province on April 12. [Photo/Xinhua]

Shan Jixiang, director of the Palace Museum (aka the Forbidden City), delivered a speech on national treasures at a cultural forum in Ningbo, Zhejiang province on April 12 as part of the currently underway 2018 China (Ningbo) Cultural Industrial Fair.

The 64-year-old "guardian" of the museum was both humorous and sincere when sharing his insights with a Ningbo audience on how to preserve and restore historic treasures, allowing them to come alive once again.

During the speech, Shan discussed the successes they've had in upgrading infrastructure, restoring relics, digitalizing exhibits, establishing a restoration center, providing better services to visitors and further promoting the museum.

Shan said they want to connect people with their cultural heritage and generate more public interaction by trying more modern approaches.

In addition to protecting and studying the cultural relics, they have also adopted new technology to enhance museum operations ranging from visitor reception, to restoration and display of cultural relics, to academic research. Pictures of and information about the antique collections are available on mobile platforms. Souvenirs combining traditional and modern elements have been well received by people of all ages.

The Palace Museum, one of China's most cherished cultural heritage sites, has been revived to some extent.

Shan's speech inspired Ningbo's museum insiders. A staff member at the Ningbo Tianyi Pavilion Museum, a significant advocate of the city's historical preservation, sought advice from Shan on how to strike a balance between the preservation and exhibition of old architecture.

The veteran made his suggestions specific to Tianyi Pavilion, "The old architecture, along with the time-honored exhibits, must be thoroughly protected and the museum should build nearby modern exhibition halls to display its collections." He suggested that the newly-built halls complement the current architectural style in order to preserve the harmonious look of the pavilion.

The 2018 China (Ningbo) Cultural Industrial Fair kicked off at the Ningbo Expo Center on the morning of April 13. More than 1,500 enterprises from around the world have signed up for the fair. A series of exhibitions, forums, seminars and roadshows will be staged within the next four days.

Shan receives a souvenir from Zhuang Lizhen, curator of the Ningbo Tianyi Pavilion Museum, after his speech on April 12. [Photo/Xinhua]