Major Forbidden City renovation begins

The Palace Museum, also known as the Forbidden City, in Beijing on Tuesday began to undergo a key repair and renovation project that aims for a spacious and modernized exhibition hall.

The project, which is expected to end on May 31, 2015, involves the repair and rebuilding of two building areas near the Meridian Gate, the southern and largest gate of the museum.

Shan Jixiang, curator of the museum, noted at Tuesday's project launch ceremony that the work will be difficult due to the size of the buildings involved, the long period as well as the fact that the project will be conducted while the museum remains open to the public.

The project will lead to a huge exhibition area covering more than 2,800 square meters, which will also feature multiple modern functions.

While calling for a high-quality renovation, Shan stressed that the safety of project workers, buildings and cultural relics inside the museum must be ensured and all historical and cultural features in the areas must be preserved with the utmost efforts.