China's Palace Museum to become world-class

BEIJING - The curator of the Palace Museum, known as the imperial Forbidden City, has described how he and his colleagues are striving to turn the site into one of the world's top museums through an improved blueprint.

Shan Jixiang said at a media briefing on Friday that the attraction will be positioned alongside Paris' Louvre Museum, New York's Metropolitan Museum, St Petersburg's State Hermitage and the British Museum as one of the top five museums in the world.

It will feature a new display layout and arrange permanent exhibitions on unique objects including bronze, jade, lacquer and imperial items, Shan explained.

"We are also planning to set up a museum for foreign cultural relics,and will develop digital technology covering most parts of the Forbidden City," Shan added, without specifying a time scheme for any of these developments.

He also said the Palace Museum will publicize a catalogue of its collections which include about 53,000 paintings, 75,000 calligraphy works, 16,000 pieces of copper ware and 10,000 sculptures.

The Palace Museum, located in the heart of Beijing, was built in 1420 and became a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1987. It was home to China's emperors and the highest center of power for about 500 years.

It attracts more than 14 million visitors annually.