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100 years of the Palace Museum
On October 10, 1925, the Forbidden City in Beijing became the Palace Museum. The massive complex of ancient imperial palaces that was home to the royalty of the Ming and Qing dynasties for centuries became a museum for the people. Today, there are four Palace Museums: the original in Beijing, the National Palace Museum in Taipei, with a Southern branch in Chiayi which opened in 2015, and the Hong Kong Palace Museum which opened in 2022. In this series, we explore the stories behind the centenary and look at how each museum is marking this major milestone.
Updated: 24 Nov, 2025

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[1]
Explore China’s Palace Museum in infographics and the forbidden world of emperors
Which consort was thrown down a well? And how did the Forbidden City survive fire and major earthquakes? Revisit our award-winning infographics as the Palace Museum marks its 100th year.
16 Oct, 2025

[3]
Taipei Palace Museum struggles with tourist numbers amid cross-strait tension
Opposition lawmaker questions massive drop in visitors from mainland China, Hong Kong and Macau.
03 May, 2025

[4]
Hong Kong Palace Museum holds first fully digital show on Forbidden City
Show includes moving images of icons such as dragons and phoenixes – all rendered at immense scale for visitors to enjoy.
25 May, 2025

[5]
Hong Kong Palace Museum’s Egyptian exhibition ‘just the start’ of collaborations
‘We are speaking about everything, we are open to everything, in order to do collaboration,’ the custodian of Egyptian relics says.
29 Jun, 2025

[6]
Hong Kong welcomes hit Mughal exhibition with more than 100 works of art
Jewellery, weaponry and fragments of architectural history from South Asian dynasty on display at Palace Museum, with links to China at forefront.
06 Aug, 2025

[7]
‘Brothers’: Hong Kong and Beijing palace museums reflect on special ties
As the Beijing Palace Museum celebrates its 100th anniversary, a growing level of exchanges is taking place between the two institutions.
26 Aug, 2025

[8]
Can Hong Kong cash in on culture so arts hub, museums pay for themselves?
What options do the West Kowloon Cultural District and the city’s public museums have to raise money when funds are in short supply?
08 Oct, 2025

[9]
How thousands of relics travelled 10,000 miles to ‘protect Chinese identity’
The story is little known in the West, but is a foundation for modern Chinese museology and a symbol of the nation’s resilience.
09 Oct, 2025

[10]
How National Palace Museum’s anniversary became a Taiwan identity battleground
The treasures housed in Taipei are at the centre of a culture war that reflects island’s fractious relations with the Chinese mainland.
10 Oct, 2025

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[11]
Taiwan’s National Palace Museum marks 100-year history with stunning displays
The Taipei museum’s centennial exhibitions feature spectacular works spanning paintings, sculptures, pottery and more.
24 Nov, 2025

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