Wednesday is International Museum Day. This year's theme is "cultural landscapes". There have been ongoing efforts in China to return cultural relics to how they looked in the old days. CCTV reporter tells more about the maintenance of an imperial palace in the northeastern city of Shenyang.
The restoration of historical architecture is like trying to fix a broken glass. It also requires attention to the original materials and workmanship. At this former imperial palace from the Qing dynasty, basic maintenance is required all year round.
Societies have long sought to preserve their cultural heritage, for reasons ranging from education to the desire to reinforce a sense of identity. As the only existing royal palace in China outside of the Forbidden City, preserving the cultural relics at the Mukden palace is a never-ending mission.
"People often ask why the maintenance here is never finished. It's because restoring ancient buildings is not like tearing down ruins and simply erecting replicas. It involves professional makeovers and precision handcrafts. The principle is to keep the original intact," said Li Shengneng, deputy director Mukden palace, Shenyang, Liaoning Province.
The Mukden Palace was placed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 2004. It receives more than 5,000 visitors a day; and since most of the revenue from ticket sales goes into operational costs, funds for restoration and maintenance have to come from the central government.
"I think awareness about preserving cultural relics is increasing in China. But it will take some time to translate awareness into action, like the donations which made up a considerable amount of funding at famous historical sites elsewhere in the world," he said.
There's been a surge in new museums in China and there's a growing sense that we need to take care of our historical heritage.
