The Palace Museum, also known as the Forbidden City in Beijing, capital of China, will see a historic expansion, offering more space to show precious relics to the public.

A new branch will be added to the north of the Forbidden City to spruce up the exhibition spaces. The construction of the new site is expected to be finished in 2025 to mark the Palace Museum's 100th anniversary.

The construction of the Palace Museum's new branch officially started on Dec. 30, 2022. After its completion, there will be 12 exhibition halls within a display area of around 35,000 square meters. The design will resonate with the Palace Museum's signature red walls and yellow tiles.

"The northern branch won't be a direct replica of the ancient architectural styles of the Palace Museum. It will be a modern museum, drawing on elements from the Palace Museum. After completion, it will be a simple, tasteful, and elegant museum," said Du Haijiang, deputy director of the Palace Museum.

The new site is situated in a scenic spot in Xibeiwang village in Haidian District, about 30 kilometers from the current museum. The new venue will provide better conditions for preservation work. 

At present, the Palace Museum holds over 1.86 million cultural relics. However, only less than 10,000 pieces are able to be displayed every year due to limited exhibition space.

"Many of the cultural relics at the Palace Museum, such as calligraphy and painting, can only be exhibited seasonally. They can't be displayed during the rainy season, or in winter or summer, because calligraphy and painting works are sensitive to temperature and humidity. Many textile and cotton relics are also unable to be displayed as the exhibition environment and conditions are limited. It was therefore necessary to build a modern museum," Du said.

Upon completion of the new branch, it will be possible to display between 20,000 and 30,000 individual relics each year. In addition to showcasing a larger number of exhibits, the northern branch will also offer visitors the chance to see the restoration work on the cultural relics up close.