The ongoing special exhibition on the centenary of the Palace Museum, also known as the Forbidden City, will contribute to protecting and revitalizing China's cultural heritage, according to the deputy director of the museum.
The exhibition features 200 precious pieces and sets of cultural relics from a collection of over 1.95 million, offering a multidimensional interpretation of the Chinese civilization and the evolution of the Palace Museum.
Titled "A Century of Stewardship: From the Forbidden City to the Palace Museum," the exhibition unfolds across three thematic sections: A Lineage of Scholarship, A Century of Heritage, and A World of Splendor.
"The centennial exhibition focuses on protecting the Forbidden City's ancient architecture and treasures. By balancing preservation with innovation, we aim to breathe new life into this cultural heritage, making it vibrant in the modern era and contributing to building China into a leading country in culture,"said Zhu Hongwen, deputy director of the Palace Museum.
One of the exhibition's highlights is the painting "Five Oxen," the earliest extant paper painting in China.
Created by Han Huang during the Tang Dynasty (618-907), the painting features five oxen with different and vivid appearances.
The painting was recovered by the museum in 1958. At that time, it was damaged with hundreds of holes present.
This national treasure has then undergone multiple restorations since to restore its former glory.
"This object had over 300 holes of varying sizes. Restoration expert Sun Chengzhi, drawing on over 60 years of experience, has given this ancient artifact new life through techniques like unmounting, full-color repair and reinstallation," said Xu Tong, a research curator at the Palace Museum.
The exhibition will run until Dec 30.
On Oct 10, 1925, the Palace Museum was established based on the Forbidden City, once the imperial palaces of the Ming and Qing dynasties (1368-1911), and opened to the public for the first time, along with its priceless imperial art collections.
Centennial exhibition on China's Palace Museum focuses on heritage protection, revitalization: deputy director
A former television host from Taiwan, Zhai Xuan, has made a pivotal decision to leave mainstream broadcasting in order to create content that provides a better understanding of the Chinese mainland and cross-strait relations.
Zhai, a seasoned television host with over a decade of experience in Taiwan's media landscape, recently addressed an audience at an event in Beijing, where she revealed her complete transition into independent online media.
In her remarks, she articulated her aspiration to bridge what she perceives as a significant information gap between audiences on both sides of the Strait, highlighting her commitment to fostering a deeper understanding and connection through her new endeavors.
"I was really surprised by all the fake news. There were stories saying people on the mainland can't afford tea eggs or that they live in mud houses and in Taiwan, this was the main information many people received," said Zhai.
Zhai said she initially began producing online videos to challenge such perceptions while continuing her work as a television host.
In April 2025, she travelled to the mainland with her father to fulfill her late grandfather's wish to return to his hometown. The trip, which reunited family members separated since 1949, was recorded in a video series titled "Journey to Find Our Roots", drawing attention from viewers in both Taiwan and the mainland.
"Many people in Taiwan told me that after watching, they wanted to apply for a mainland travel permit immediately and go looking for their relatives. Some had long forgotten these things, but after seeing my story, they began thinking about their hometowns and family members they had never met and decided to search for their roots," Zhai shared her story at the event.
By mid-2025, Zhai said she began to feel increasing pressure amid rising political tensions and a tightening atmosphere around cross-Strait exchanges in Taiwan.
After more than 12 years in the industry, Zhai resigned from her position, believing it was the right thing to do.
"At that moment, I felt this was a major issue，not just for me, but for Chinese people on both sides of the Strait. If I backed down then, I wouldn’t be standing on the right side," said Zhai.
Since leaving television, Zhai has broadened her online programming to encompass a range of daily-life topics, including practical guidance on applying for a mainland travel permit and using commonly employed mobile applications, in addition to content that delves into historical memory and cultural connections across the Strait.
As the debate over cross-Strait relations continues in Taiwan, Zhai said she remains committed to her current path.
Former Taiwan TV host bridges cross-Strait divide via online media
