Milestone achievements

It is hard to say how long these leisurely steps will last at the Palace Museum.

Du Haijiang, deputy director of the museum, says that the daily cap will adjust accordingly, and things will gradually go back to normal.

After all, for a place which witnessed 24 emperors over the course of six centuries, 98 days' shutdown is but a transient moment in its long history.

During the past three months, the Palace Museum was "in closure but not at rest", Du says. About 200 people stayed on duty within its red walls every day to ensure security and remain alert for fire, as well as other potential dangers. Academic research at the institution also continued unabated. The difference was, of course, many researchers' homes became their offices.

Du adds that reopening for public visits will also be followed by a resumption of everyday work in some key positions at the institution, like restoration of cultural relics, by one of the biggest teams of its kind in the world.

"For the 600th anniversary, there will be some adjustments of our plans due to the influence of the novel coronavirus over the few past months," he says, adding that "the general schedule and arrangement of key exhibitions will remain."

Oct 10, which marks the 95th anniversary of the Forbidden City becoming a public museum, will be the focal point of the series of events.

According to the original plan, A Night Revel of Han Xizai, a milestone painting in Chinese fine art history, which is believed to have been created in the 10th century, will be on view to the public later this year, as will calligraphy masterpieces by Su Shi, a renowned poet and artist of the Northern Song Dynasty (960-1127). A new gallery displaying porcelain items will be reopened to the public after renovation and a redesign of its exhibits.

For Zhuang and many other acolytes of the museum, the birthday will be a monumental occasion that cannot be missed.