This is not the first time the Palace Museum has made mistakes and ignited public anger. "Liang Qiqi has been here."
This is not what you'd expect to find written on a Palace Museum relic. The iron pot, dating back to the Qing Dynasty, was defaced this February.
Staff erased the handwriting and said the relic was not damaged.
The case sparked widespread anger among the public. An anger which has been stoked again and again.
In May 2011, seven relics were stolen from the heavily guarded Forbidden city. The pieces were worth over ten million yuan. The reputation of the Palace Museum, already sullied, suffered a further blow when the Palace staff sent the police a silk banner. The banner, which was meant to be a message of thanks for the police's services, contained a wrong character.
In July 2011, the Palace Museum was again the object of ridicule.
A Song Dynasty antique was mishandled during a routine examination. The Ge kiln porcelain masterpiece, worth over 20 million yuan, was completely destroyed.
The Museum apologized for their neglect, but the damage was done. Public confidence in the Palace Museum, like the Song antique, was shattered.
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