Celebration of the 40th anniversary of the founding of Prince Kung’s Palace Museum

Scientific technology enables revival of palace’s former allure

Regarding the routine maintenance of the collection and heritage architecture as the museum’s primary task, Prince Kung’s Palace Museum has attached increasing importance to research-based conservation and restoration. Applying technological means to the intricate and complex task of cultural heritage conservation and restoration precisely reflects the museum’s endeavor to ensuring security and safety of its collections through the application of digital technologies.

In 2020, the first maintenance and repair plan for the ancient architecture of Prince Kung’s Palace was formulated and systematically implemented.

Adhering to the principle of preserving the original state of cultural relics, the museum conducted scientific, dynamic monitoring and digital image collection for structures, landscapes, furniture, ancient trees, and the polychrome paintings decorating the wooden components of the architectural structures. A technological “armor” for the conservation and restoration of cultural heritage was donned.

In November 2023, the comprehensive maintenance and restoration project of the garden, which lasted nearly 5 months, concluded. The newly-restored Rectangular Pond and Pavilion now revives the ambiance of Jiangnan water town (jiangxiang) and tranquil scenes of boat moorings in the ancient classical garden.

Pioneering a unique approach in the restoration of ancient architecture, through digital collection and techniques such as thermoluminescence dating, the museum staff enable visitors to witness the exquisite decorative paintings, delicate patterns on tile-ends and water-dripping tiles, and the serene ripples in the center of the lake, just as they appeared in the palace’s original design.