At the Palace Museum in Beijing, formerly the Forbidden City, about 150 experts are carefully restoring over 1.8 million historical artifacts. Once the residence of emperors and the center of political power in imperial China, the museum is now one of the world’s most visited cultural sites. Modern laboratories blend scientific tools with traditional craftsmanship to carry out restoration work. For example, a roof tile with a darkened surface is being examined using advanced X-ray technology to find out whether the black color is caused by pollution or a chemical change inside the tile. This combination of old and new methods is used to restore a wide range of items, including paintings, bronzes, ceramics, silk panels, and even rare European clocks once gifted to Chinese royalty.

One recent restoration involved patterned silk once given to Empress Dowager Cixi. Experts used a technique called inpainting, which requires a high level of precision and color matching. According to Qu Feng, the museum’s Conservation Department director, even though technology has become more advanced, the core mission remains the same—preserving the cultural meaning of each artifact. By combining tradition with innovation, the restorers not only maintain the integrity of these national treasures but also ensure they can be passed down to future generations. Though the work is repetitive and demanding, the team finds quiet satisfaction in protecting China’s cultural legacy.