Exhibition records the cultural essence of two historic Beijing sites

Over 200 photographs featuring ancient architecture, the natural surroundings and human interactions in the Palace Museum and the Prince Kung's Palace Museum take visitors on a journey of cultural heritage.

Taken by in-house photographers from both historic sites, the photographs were unveiled on Tuesday at the exhibition Flourishing Times, New Beginnings — A Visual Journey from Cultural Heritage to Enriched Life, which is taking place at the two museums until March.

Marking the first collaborative effort to connect the two historic sites through the lens of "shared imagery of cultural heritage", the exhibition initiates a visual dialogue that transcends mere documentation.

By exploring the medium-specific qualities, special techniques and material applications of photography, it constructs a multidimensional and interdisciplinary interpretive space, illustrating both the architectural transformations over centuries and the vibrant interplay between cultural heritage and contemporary life.

The Palace Museum and the Prince Kung's Palace Museum together reflect the dual narratives of "ritual order" and "aesthetics of daily life" during the Ming (1368-1644) and Qing (1644-1911) dynasties.

More than a display of architectural beauty, the exhibition adopts a perspective of "visual archaeology", revealing how these structures have retained their cultural essence amid physical changes and tracing their spiritual undercurrents, from solemn ceremonial traditions to humanistic elegance, along with tracing the passage of time to their current renewed vitality.