For the first time since the Forbidden City had been opened to visitors, curators have announced that they will be opening the Palace Museum to nighttime visitors. The palace, which was declared as a World Heritage Site, will apparently be a centerpiece to celebrate the country's upcoming Lantern Festival.
According to the Palace Museum's website, areas around the Forbidden City will be open to the public with each area having its own nighttime activities. The entire Meridian Gate will reportedly be fully lit up to emphasize its intricate structure. Meanwhile, different classic paintings, such as the "A Thousand Li of Rivers and Mountains" will be projected on the roof of the Gate of Divine Might. Different art and cultural exhibits in the other open areas will also be available to the public for free.
Visitors and tourist who wants to participate in the celebrations can visit locations such as the East Wall, the Gate of Divine Might, the Gate of Supreme Harmony, and the Meridian Gate exhibition hall. The entire celebration will be part of the "Lantern Festival Night in the Forbidden City" event, which will be held on February 19 and 20.
Given the delicate and highly flammable materials that were used to construct the different buildings in the Forbidden City back in the early 1400s, the Chinese government has banned Lantern Festival events from being held in the complex. However, the Palace Museum announced that they are prepared to break with tradition this year.
Since the entire ancient complex, consisting of more than 980 buildings, was opened to the public in 1925, it has remained relatively off-limits during the night. This will be the first time that the public will be able to visit the area after dark. It will also be the first time that the entire complex will be lit on such a large scale.
The museum's curators have long played with the idea of opening the Forbidden City to the public during the night. However, they were still waiting for a number of streets and infrastructure to be completed before going ahead with the plan. The entire cultural complex, which had been the home of emperors from the Ming Dynasty to the end of the Qing Dynasty, has slowly been opening up to the public. In 2012, only 30 percent of the entire area was accessible to the public. Now, over 80 percent off the area is open to visitors.
