Palace Museum expands

The factory that was used to fire the glazed tiles for the Forbidden City will be transformed into the north zone of the Palace Museum. A big museum and cultural research center will be built in this zone, the Beijing Daily reported.

The north zone covers 47.6 hectares and will function as a center for relic restoration and craftsmanship training and exhibition. Shan Jixiang, the curator of the Palace Museum, said that it would take three to seven years to complete the construction. Eventually, the north zone is expected to attract approximately three million visitors annually. Meanwhile, tourist traffic in the current Palace Museum will be controlled; next year, the number will be limited to 14 million people.