China's National Museum celebrates centennial

The centennial of China's National Museum was celebrated on Monday, as the country's top leaders called for more such promotion of Chinese culture.

In a congratulatory letter, Chinese President Hu Jintao spoke highly of the great achievements of the National Museum in collecting and protecting cultural relics, undertaking scientific research and hosting exhibitions.

Hu also urged the museum to enrich its collections, strengthen its research and exhibition capabilities, expand international exchanges and make new achievements in building a country with cultural strength.

Lying to the east of Tiananmen Square in central Beijing, the National Museum was founded in 1912 and now has a collection of more than 1.2 million pieces. It is the largest museum in the world in terms of the area of construction.

Li Changchun, a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, also attended the celebration, and awarded prizes to four experts in heritage for their outstanding achievements and contributions to academic research.

Liu Yunshan, head of the Publicity Department of the Central Committee of the CPC, called for more government input to China's museums in a bid to help them better serve the people.