BEIJING, Oct. 10 -- A fortnight after the last emperor of China moved out of the Forbidden City in 1925, two college students moved in alongside art historians.

    Shan Shiyuan (1907-1998) and Na Zhiliang, both 18 years old when the royal palace became a public museum 80 years ago, ended up as the most highly respected researchers at the Palace Museum in Beijing and the Taipei Palace Museum respectively.

    From the 1980s the two scholars were the only surviving eyewitnesses to the founding of the Palace Museum, which boasted the world's best and largest collection of Chinese art until it was divided between Beijing and Taipei more than 50 years ago.

    As the museums celebrate the 80th anniversary of their founding, Shan's last work, completed before his death in 1998, has been published by the Beijing-based New World Press.

    In the beautifully illustrated book, titled "Story of the Imperial Palace and its Buildings," Shan shared intimate details of his stay in the Forbidden City spanning more than seven decades.

    He wrote of how the six-century-old palace opened its doors to the public during a time of political intrigue, and how it survived the civil wars, World War II (1937-45) and the "cultural revolution" (1966-76).

    He also revealed details of the lives of those involved in the founding of the Palace Museum, including his friend Na, who enjoyed worldwide fame for his research on jade artefacts.

    First step

    Preparation for the establishment of the museum started in 1914, three years after the last emperor of the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911), Aisin-gioro Pu Yi, was dethroned and the Republic of China was founded.

    The emperor and his family were still living in the inner part of the Forbidden City, while the outer part had been taken over by the state.

    With the help of art historians and experienced art dealers at the Liulichang Antiques Street in Beijing, the then central government transported into the outer part of the Forbidden City art and treasure from the collection of the royal palace in Shenyang, capital of Northeast China's Liaoning Province, and pieces from the collection of the royal Summer Resort in North China's Hebei Province.

    Meanwhile, in the inner part of the Forbidden City, the emperor, members of his family and former officials were rapidly selling off art from the royal collection, so as to afford a luxurious lifestyle and to fund attempts to recover the throne.

    A heart-wrenching loss occurred in 1921, when thieving servants set fire to a cluster of buildings housing the most important part of the royal collection, burning it to the ground.

    On the ruins the former emperor had a tennis court built. But he had little time to play as in November 1924 the royal family was driven out of the Forbidden City.

    In December 1924 leading art historians of the time, led by Li Yuying, moved in and began making an index of the royal collection.

    Since many of them were professors from Peking University, such as Shen Jianshi, Shen Yinmo and Ma Heng, students had the opportunity to become their assistants. Among them were Shan and Na.

    "With wild grass growing to knee-height in most courtyards, the Forbidden City looked most desolate and dilapidated in the freezing winter. Many rooms were piled with rubbish, but we had to be careful about them as treasures of art could also be scattered among dirt and garbage," said Shan.

    He and Na had to write down the name of each piece of art that was discovered, as dictated by art historians, and put a label on it.

    To prevent acts of thieving, all of those involved had to wear a special uniform with no pockets and sleeves bound tightly by white bands.

    Ups and downs

    After nine months' efficient work, the Forbidden City was opened to the public on October 10, 1925, and named "Palace Museum."

    Renowned scholar Yi Peiji was appointed as the first curator of the Palace Museum.

    He led the museum to its prime in the late 1920s with his effective management, but had to quit the job in 1931 when he was wrongly accused by a political enemy of stealing art, and soon died, according to Shan.

    In 1931, Japanese troops invaded Northeast China. On the orders of the central government of the time, the staff at the Palace Museum had to select some of the most important pieces in the royal collection and send them secretly to Nanjing, then the national capital, more than 1,000 kilometres south of Beijing.

    Some of the staff, including Na, travelled to Nanjing to look after the national treasures, which were later transported to Chongqing, the wartime capital of China, on the eve of Nanjing being conquered by Japanese invaders in 1937.

    Others, including Shan, stayed within the Forbidden City throughout the war.

    Through the arduous efforts of a number of Chinese who remained in Beijing, the Japanese troops refrained from pillaging the Forbidden City at the start of the war, and did not attempt to open its iron gates when they retreated.

    During the 10-year "cultural revolution," the young Red Guards tried continuously to break into the Forbidden City.

    Shan and his family spent the decade enclosed in the museum as the then Chinese Premier Zhou Enlai gave an order to keep the gates of the Forbidden City shut so as to preserve the national treasures.

    For six decades since 1931, Shan and Na, who were good friends in their youth, did not see each other.

    It was not until Shan visited Taipei in 1994 that the pair was reunited, and both shed tears as they recognize their old friend.

    "Na asked me about the many co-founders of the Palace Museum. After thinking I said only three words: 'mei you le' (none left)," recalled Shan.Enditem

(Source: China Daily)