Latest News:  

English>>Life & Culture

Visitor detained after damage at Palace museum

(Shanghai Daily)

08:41, May 06, 2013

A museum staff member points out damage to an antique clock which fell from a shelf when a visitor smashed a window at Beijing's Palace Museum. Officials said that the 18th century timepiece would be restored and put back on display soon.(Photo/Shanghai Daily)

BEIJING'S Palace Museum is tightening security and installing more surveillance cameras to protect its treasures after a disgruntled visitor smashed a window at the weekend, damaging an antique clock.

The 22-year-old man from central Hubei Province, surnamed Wang, was detained after he was spotted breaking the window at Yikungong, or Palace of Earthly Honor, on Saturday morning.

Witnesses said the suspect became angry when he was prevented from taking pictures and suddenly struck the window, according to the Beijing News and Beijing Times newspapers. The clock fell from a shelf after the window was shattered.

The ornate mantle clock was made by a British craftsman in the 18th century. Its glass cover was broken and some metal parts broken or bent.

Museum official Zhao Nan said he heard glass breaking and caught Wang at the scene. Wang seemed tongue-tied when he was asked why he had broken the window and was said to have mumbled: "If I don't break the glass, the glass will beat me" and "I should have found a place where there were fewer people."

Beijing police said Wang had been detained on suspicion of deliberately destroying cultural relics. He received medical treatment for cuts to his right hand and it is believed he severed a tendon in his middle finger.

Built in 1417, Yikungong was the residence of concubines in the Forbidden City in the Ming and Qing dynasties. Today's visitors aren't allowed to enter and can only see the interior from the outside.

Museum officials said more high-definition cameras were to be installed and more management officials would be mobilized to ensure there were no blind spots in the complex.

An ongoing program to add protective material to the windows and doors of every palace and hall is being stepped up, they said.

The enhanced security measures will form part of a comprehensive plan to upgrade the museum in preparation for its 600th anniversary in 2020. Major projects include restoring cultural relics and rebuilding infrastructure and work to reduce the potential risk of fires, earthquakes, natural damage and theft, said curator Shan Jixiang.

The Palace Museum has experienced several robberies and thefts in recent years.

The cases include a "spur-of-the-moment" theft in which nine items on loan from a Hong Kong-based museum were stolen.

Shi Baikui, 28, from Shandong Province, stole the art pieces on May 8, 2011. In his rush to escape he left behind five of the pieces in the Forbidden City's compound. He threw the other four pieces away after he failed to find a buyer. Six pieces have been recovered.

The three missing items are estimated to be worth 150,000 yuan (US$24,350).

Shi was jailed for 13 years last year.

We recommend:

Residence of a minister in Qing dynasty

Top 20 Chinese celebrities in 2013

Twisted skyscrapers around world

S Korean TV network bans Psy's new MV

33 crystal clear waters in the globle

Touching moments in animal world

Women's volleyball head coach since 1980s

From 'ivory tower' to gorgeous 'T stage'

Jiutian Goddess Temple in Jixian, N China

Email|Print|Comments(Editor:LiXiang、Ye Xin)

Leave your comment0 comments

  1. Name

  

Selections for you


  1. China's WZ-10 armed helicopter

  2. Pakistani soldiers carry electoral materials

  3. Long March 2-F rocket reaches launch center

  4. Migratory birds at Shahu Lake area in NW China

  5. Old photos to recall memories

  6. Self-defense martial art popular in Beijing

  7. Box office smash: "So Young", so successful

  8. Christie's, Sotheby's go head-to-head

  9. Investors shake off speculation of new listings

  10. Bamboo's alchemic ability

Most Popular

Opinions

  1. Young Chinese face hard road to happiness
  2. Commentary: Abe walks on dangerous path
  3. Celebrity diving show 'excessive': People's Daily
  4. China Voice: Salute builders of the "Chinese dream"
  5. Any future peace deal to be put to referendum
  6. Ancient Chinese tower tests classic literature buffs
  7. Why do U.S. officials visit China in succession?
  8. What does China’s development mean to world?

What’s happening in China

Brazilian self-defense martial art gains popularity in Beijing

  1. Visitor detained after damage at museum
  2. One-third of adults have high blood pressure
  3. Crowd funding fueling creative projects in China
  4. Rain predicted for SW China quake zone
  5. Celebrities to be punished for unsafe food ads