Monkey works and more to highlight Capital Museum shows

Treasured relics are among pieces that are or will be on show at Beijing's Capital Museum to mark its 35th year.[Photo provided to China Daily

Cultural relics unearthed from Beijing, Xanadu (Yuan's northern capital in today's Xilin Gol, the Inner Mongolia autonomous region), and its middle capital in today's Hebei province, are to be combined together to provide a panorama.

The museum will cooperate with the Palace Museum, also known as the Forbidden City, to offer what may be one of the best exhibitions of imperial items ever shown outside the palace's red walls .

When the Hall of Mental Cultivation in the Forbidden City, the residence of the last eight Qing Dynasty emperors, undergoes a major renovation, its highlighted exhibits are to be shown at the Capital Museum beginning in September. Multimedia channels will be introduced to "re-create" a Hall of Mental Cultivation at the museum.

"You cannot overvalue the copperware, jade, paintings or ancient books housed in the hall," Bai says with excitement.

"And, you have to know none of its 1,890 pieces of cultural relics has ever been moved away from the palace," he adds.

If you go

9 am to 5 pm, entrance until 4 pm (Mondays closed); the Capital Museum, 16 Fuxingmenwai Dajie (Avenue), Xicheng district, Beijing; www.capitalmuseum.org.cn; 010-6339-3339.

Online reservation is needed.