Illegal buildings in Forbidden City to be removed

Shan Jixiang, curator of the Palace Museum, introduces cultural products on the Royal Caribbean's cruise ship Ovation of the Seas during a cultural activity in North China's Tianjin Municipality, June 26, 2016. [Photo/IC]

The Palace Museum in Beijing plans to dismantle all illegal buildings in the Forbidden City over the next three years, to preserve ancient buildings.

Shan Jixiang, curator of The Palace Museum, revealed the news when he was making a speech at the Tianjin International Cruise Home Port in Dongjiang of Tianjin.

More than 100 pieces or sets of cultural creative products from the Palace Museum were displayed on the Royal Caribbean's cruise ship Ovation of the Seas on Sunday, to showcase the Forbidden City and the museum culture.

Shan said the Palace Museum would spend four years reallocating the office space of its 1,500 staff members. All administrative staff, including the curator and vice-curator, will move out of the Forbidden City, while office buildings will be built out of the city wall. All parking lots for employees will also be moved out, to make proper use of each inch of land in the Forbidden City.

Shan said the Palace Museum would dismantle the more than 14,800 square meters of temporary buildings and the other later constructed buildings in the Forbidden City, to prevent modern architecture affecting the whole environment. The existing pavements will be changed to traditional materials and afforesting will be strengthened.

The Palace Museum is dedicated to open wider to the public, and 85 per cent of the museum's 160,000-square-meter area will be open by 2025. That's compared to 76 per cent, this year.