Palace Museum opens relics restoration to the public

As part of ongoing activities held for China's Cultural and Natural Heritage Day, the first batch of 40 people watched 'doctors' repairing pieces from some of the museum's collections, including pieces of calligraphy, paintings, bronzeware and clocks, under the guidance of volunteers.

Established in December 2016, the restoration hospital is located in the west of the Palace Museum. The facility covers 13,000 square meters and has the nation's most-advanced restoration studios.

Staff members repair cultural relics at a restoration 'hospital' in the Palace Museum in Beijing, June 9, 2018. (Photo: China News Service/Liu Guanguan)

A staff member repairs a cultural relic at a restoration 'hospital' in the Palace Museum in Beijing, June 9, 2018. (Photo: China News Service/Liu Guanguan)

A staff member repairs a cultural relic at a restoration 'hospital' in the Palace Museum in Beijing, June 9, 2018. (Photo: China News Service/Liu Guanguan)

Shan Jixiang, the curator of the Palace Museum, meets with visitors to a restoration 'hospital' in the Palace Museum in Beijing, June 9, 2018. (Photo: China News Service/Liu Guanguan)

Shan Jixiang, the curator of the Palace Museum, meets with visitors to a restoration 'hospital' in the Palace Museum in Beijing, June 9, 2018. (Photo: China News Service/Liu Guanguan)

A volunteer talks to visitors about cultural relics restoration at a 'hospital' in the Palace Museum in Beijing, June 9, 2018. (Photo: China News Service/Liu Guanguan)

Shan Jixiang (C), the curator of the Palace Museum, poses with volunteers at the opening of its restoration 'hospital' to the public in Beijing, June 9, 2018. (Photo: China News Service/Liu Guanguan)

BANGKOK (AP) — Organizers have revoked He Jie's first place in the Beijing Half Marathon last weekend after an investigation confirmed that three other runners had slowed down to let him win the race.

All four runners were disqualified and had to return their medals and award money.

Chinese online users had shared the video from the final moment s of Sunday’s race out of suspicion that it had been rigged. The footage showed three African runners letting He, China’s top long-distance runner, move ahead of them shortly before they were about to reach the finish line.

The three runners deliberately reduced their pace, according to a statement from a committee set up to investigate the race.

The special committee said that four runners had originally been hired as pacemakers by a sponsor but that the main organizers of the race had not known this. One of the pacemakers didn't finish the race.

The statement did not acknowledge whether the race was rigged, but it did issue an apology.

“We deeply and sincerely apologize to the world and to every part of society, that we did not discover and correct the mistakes in time at this race,” the committee said. Zhong’ao Lupao Sports Management Co, the main organizer, is losing its right to host the Beijing Half Marathon as punishment.

One of the runners had told BBC Sport Africa that they allowed He to win because they had been hired to serve as pacemakers and were not competing to win the race.

“I was not there to compete,” Willy Mnangat of Kenya was quoted as saying. “My job was to set the pace and help the guy win but unfortunately he did not achieve the target, which was to break the national record.”

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FILE - In this photo released by Xinhua News Agency, He Jie, the men's marathon record holder in China, wearing number 1, runs alongside African competitors during the Bejjing Half-Marathon 2024 in Beijing on April 14, 2024. Organizers are investigating the half-marathon race in Beijing after video from the race showing three African runners appearing to let the Chinese runner ahead of them right as they are about to cross the finish line sparked public speculation that the race was rigged. (Ju Huanzong/Xinhua via AP, File)