Beijing's Palace Museum unveils display schedule

Yanchi Lou in the Palace Museum will open a new display hall.[Photo/China Daily]

Beijing's Palace Museum unveils its yearlong display schedule, including newly opened areas, Wang Kaihao reports.

A famous 12th-century Chinese painting will return to public display after a three-year hiatus.

Beijing's Palace Museum, located in the Forbidden City, recently announced Along the River During the Qingming Festival will return to public view as part of its celebrations marking its 90 years in operation.

Along the River was drawn by Zhang Zeduan (1085-1145), reflecting landscapes of the flourishing city of Bianjing, which is today's Kaifeng in Central China's Henan province.

More than 800 people and 30 ancient construction projects are shown on the scroll, making it a reference material for Song Dynasty (960-1279) studies, in addition to its remarkable aesthetics.

The scroll will be included in an exhibition titled Shiqu Baoji, which is named after an 18th-century catalog of royal paintings and calligraphy works. The museum display, starting from Sept 5, will run for two months and showcase some other rarely seen ancient artworks.

"Almost every piece is a national treasure," Shan Jixiang, director of the Palace Museum, said at a news conference last week. "I am sure there will be long lines waiting to see them."