Forbidden City to open more areas to the public  

甄嬛与安陵容居所将开放 2015年游客可参观

连续剧《甄嬛传》里的甄嬛、安陵容等“小主”们居住的寿康宫、延禧宫等部分居所，2015年将向游客开放。10月6日来自故宫博物院的消息，届时，故宫的开放面积将从目前的52%提升到65%。[查看全文]

(ECNS) -- Beijing's Palace Museum, the Forbidden City, plans to gradually open more visitor areas, ultimately making up to 80 percent of the museum accessible to the public, the museum's curator said during the National Day holiday.

The Beijing Daily cited Shan Jixiang as saying that the residences of the empresses will be open to the public by 2015, adding 14 percent to the visitor area.

The expansion includes the residence of Empress Zhen Huan, a concubine of the Yongzheng Emperor (1678-1735) who has become a household name due to a popular TV drama.

Shan said the office area will be moved out of the museum in 2016, expanding the visitor area to 70 percent of the site.

In the future, up to 80 percent of the museum will be open to public, Shan added.

Visitors to the ancient site have increased from 2002's 7.1 million to 2012's 15 million, with the public area nearly doubling in size.

The TV drama "Legend of Zhen Huan," the country's best-received and most influential TV drama last year, follows the intrigues between concubines in the imperial palace of the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911).