The walls of the ancient imperial center of power that is now the Palace Museum in Beijing are showing signs of aging, like loose bricks and cracking surfaces. On Saturday, the Forbidden City began a restoration project to protect the walls from the ravages of time.

The walls of the ancient imperial center of power that is now the Palace Museum in Beijing are showing signs of aging, like loose bricks and cracking surfaces.

It is the biggest restoration project at the museum since 1949. The first phase has already begun on a 233-meter section of the wall at the western end of the complex named Xihuamen, which is the part most affected.

“People usually think the walls are much more solid than our wooden palace architecture. However, the result of our detailed investigation has told us they are not. The western walls have sustained the most damage. A 233-meter section on that side has been chosen as the first target for renovation. Plans for the rest are pending. With this renovation, we want to thoroughly cure the ‘illnesses,’” said Shan Jixiang, director of Palace Museum.

The original work on the Forbidden City dates to 1420. Its walls are around 9.3 meters high and 8.55 meters thick. They have an earthen core, protected by outer bricks. Historical records show there were several major restorations in the 17th and 18th centuries, following heavy rainstorms or earthquakes. In 1988, a section of the north wall collapsed.

It is the biggest restoration project at the museum since 1949. The first phase has already begun on a 233-meter section of the wall at the western end of the complex named Xihuamen, which is the part most affected.

In 1999 and 2000, the museum undertook a preventive maintenance project, but it mainly focused on the surfaces. Now the restorers are looking in depth this time. New, high-tech tools like ground-penetrating radar are being used. 

“In some cases, it would be easier to use new bricks than reusing materials in the wall to fix the problems. But the principle of minimum intervention in the restoration of cultural relics demands that we reuse as many original bricks as possible. It’s thus a challenge to devise a plan to combine and match old and new materials. Any new materials used must conform to the look of the existing brick,” said Zhao Peng, Palace Museum engineer.

The whole project covering all endangered sections is expected to be completed by October 2020, when the Forbidden City celebrates its 600th birthday.