China to build its first medical college on cultural relic restoration: CPPCC member

China's Palace Museum is to work with the country's colleges and universities to build the first cultural relic medical college, said Song Jirong, deputy director of the Palace Museum and member of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), the country's top advisory body.

Song Jirong, deputy director of the Palace Museum, also member of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), answers the question from the journalists for the second session of the 13th National Committee of the CPPCC in Beijing on March 3, 2019. [Photo: bjd.com.cn]

She made the remarks on Sunday at the Great Hall of the People while meeting journalists for the second session of the 13th National Committee of the CPPCC.

Song said that the cultural relic medical college will help cultivate more cultural relic restoration talents or cultural relic doctors in China.

She added that the hospital of cultural heritage at the Palace Museum, founded in 2016, has become the largest cultural heritage conservation center in China. It has 23 analysis and monitoring labs and 16 cultural heritage conservation studios, where 161 cultural relic doctors work.

A cultural relic doctor works at the hospital of cultural heritage at the Palace Museum, November 16, 2018. [Photo: VCG]

Asked about the scarcity of tickets to the exhibitions specially arranged for the Spring Festival at the Palace Museum, Song responded that the exhibitions are still ongoing and will last until April 7.

The Palace Museum, also known as the Forbidden City, was home to the royal court between 1420 and 1912. Today, it houses more than 1.8 million sets of cultural relics.