Forbidden City opens relic 'hospital'

A state-of-the-art conservation center to "treat" ancient cultural relics in disrepair opened at Beijing's Palace Museum on Thursday.

The base, informally called the Relic Hospital, covers 13,000 square meters and boasts the nation's most-advanced restoration workshops, said Shan Jixiang, the museum's director.

"It is the largest cultural heritage conservation center in China," he said. "I hope it will become a hub for nurturing expertise, not only for China, but also worldwide."