China to build first 'medical school of cultural relics'

The Palace Museum in Beijing is working with universities to build China's first "medical school of cultural relics" and develop talent to protect and restore national treasures, says Song Jirong, national political adviser and deputy director of the museum.

The museum now features a preservation center, the Hospital for Cultural Relics, with 23 analytical and testing laboratories, 16 restoration rooms and 161 professional restorers, according to Song, who is also director of the center.

The relics will undergo scientific diagnoses to record detailed analyses of their composition, original use, damage, restoration history and preservation methods.

This will be carried out so that further conservation work can proceed with minimum intervention.

The museum's new year exhibition, showcasing ancient royal Spring Festival traditions, is currently on display, with a record number of nearly 1,000 exhibits until April 7.