The Palace Museum – housed in Beijing’s, Forbidden City – is to set up an architectural institute equipped for research, training and restoration on China’s ancient architecture.

The new unit will operate as a scientific base and will be devoted to multiple fields, with training including the inheritance and development of traditional architectural skills, the adoption of modern technologies in relation to ancient architecture and the training of professionals for curation, restoration and investigative purposes.

The institute will research royal construction from the Ming (1368-1644) and Qing (1644-1911) dynasties, operating under the banner of the State Administration of Cultural Heritage.

According to museum director Shan Jixiang, the institute will help clear up the current “chaotic situation and fill a void” on current academia on architecture in the Ming and Qing dynasties.

The museum will also interact with overseas bodies to promote a shared, wide-ranged database for use in other museums and institutions.