A hidden treasure vault beneath the splendor of the Palace Museum

A first for the Palace Museum: Building an underground treasure repository

In January 1986, the Palace Museum in Beijing held a foundation-laying ceremony for its initial underground treasure repository. Construction began the next year. By March 1990, the project was completed, becoming the largest and most advanced underground collection storage facility in China at that time:

Waterproof, moisture-proof and fire-resistant;
Equipped with constant temperature and humidity control;
Monitored by advanced safety and alarm systems;
With a ventilation system.

Every artifact was carefully disinfected before being placed on baked-enamel metal racks – a silent yet vital guardian of centuries-old cultural treasures.