Palace no longer 'forbidden'
Ninety years into its establishment, Beijing's Palace Museum, also known as the Forbidden City, has put more sections on display during the National Day holiday in October.
Visitors can now enjoy a walk on the city walls around the Meridian Gate, explore the private garden of the emperor's mother in Cining Palace, or dip into the royal treasure collection of paintings, calligraphy and craftworks, some on display for the first time.
The video below gives you a brief review of some of the new attractions, including a glimpse inside the personal chambers of the emperors' mothers at Cining Palace.
The complex is now 65 percent open to the public, with 18 new exhibitions on the curator's plan. The new attractions have made the Palace Museum a top choice for travelers. The days following the National Day holiday – usually an off season - saw 70,000 to 80,000 visitors each day. The museum even took measures to control the flow of visitors on Oct 13 and 17.
Visitors are advised to start tours early in the morning. Some, however, have not been able to take a closer look at their favorite displays, even after hours of queuing. Those problems may be solved by a newly installed digital exhibition at the Duanmen Gate, which will offer a guided virtual tour around the Forbidden City.
