Palace Museum to be closed Monday afternoons  

北京故宫试行淡季周一闭馆半天 文渊阁将开放

故宫为什么要闭馆半天？闭馆期间工作人员做什么？北京故宫7日首次试行淡季期间每周一下午闭馆半天，院长单霁翔亲自带领记者“探馆”。

Beijing (CNS)-- Beijing's top tourist attraction the Palace Museum, also known as the Forbidden City, will be closed every Monday afternoon during the winter off-season, the museum's director Shan Jixiang announced yesterday.

The number of visitors to the museum last year reached a record high of 15.34 million, an average of 40,000 every day, which has done harm to the cultural heritage site, Shan said.

To improve protection, the museum will close every Monday afternoon to allow time for inspection and maintenance of buildings and relics. A comprehensive inspection of this kind cannot be carried out when there are tourists at the museum, said Shan.

Trial implementation of the half-day closure has already begun, and if it is accepted by the public it will be set as a long-term policy, Shan added.

The museum is scheduled to open all day Feb. 11, the second day of the Spring Festival holiday.