Heritage | From visitors to insiders, interns dive deep into the Forbidden City

The Forbidden City in Beijing

Holding a small brush, Lam Hoi Ting, an architecture student from Hong Kong, carefully sweeps away dust to restore an ancient colored painting in a pavilion at the Forbidden City (Palace Museum).

Working within the architectural heritage department at the almost 600 year old palace, this is Lam’s first internship since college. She focused on surveying, mapping and virtual restoration of ancient architecture.

This summer, the Forbidden City invited Lam and 47 other youngsters from Hong Kong and Macau to intern at various departments for six weeks. Taught by museum experts, students participate in antique restoration, exhibition planning, collection management, educational activities and publicity events. Home to the royal court between 1420 and 1912, the Forbidden City houses more than 1.8 million items in its collections of cultural relics.

As a lover of the Forbidden City, Li Cho Wing, an accounting graduate from Hong Kong, was among the 48 interns. Gathering materials, searching data and editing information, Li is happy that she has turned from frequent visitor to becoming an insider at the ancient palace.

“Every time I look at these beautiful cultural relics or pass by the wonderful architecture, I am touched in every way and very proud,” said Li, who works within the publicity and education department.

With the knowledge gained from the internship, students, especially those who come from Hong Kong, hope to help with the Hong Kong Palace Museum that is being built, which will display collections from the Palace Museum from Beijing. MDT/Xinhua