'Royal' stray cats wander in and around Forbidden City

BEIJING - The Palace Museum, also known as the Forbidden City, announced on Tuesday it has set up a postdoctoral workstation which will focus on archaeology and cultural relics research.

The workstation plans to attract both domestic and foreign PhD graduates over the next three years to carry out studies with experts and scholars of the museum, said curator Shan Jixiang.

In addition to scientific research and publication projects, the museum would like to work with Taipei's Palace Museum to jointly conduct research on more than 2,000 bronze wares. The Taipei side has responded positively about working together.

Also at the ceremony, Shan said China is in a prime period of museum development. More than 200 museums open every year.

However, a gap still exists between Chinese museums and world leading ones, Shan said.

In the heart of Beijing, the Forbidden City was home to China's emperors and was the highest center of power from 1420 to 1911. It attracts more than 15 million visitors annually.

On February 21, Shan said the museum will open 76 percent of its premises to the public by 2018. At the moment, only 52 percent of the six-century-old imperial palace is open to tourists.

By 2015, the museum will open the palace's western part, which used to contain the imperial harem.