On June 11, archaeologists announced that they have discovered a wall foundation with stakes and trenches well preserved inside the Palace Museum, China's political heart during the Ming (1368-1644) and Qing dynasties (1644-1911).

The base, created during the Ming Dynasty, was partially unearthed with a pit 5.4 meters long and 2.5 meters wide, which boasts an appearance similar to the sites of building blocks discovered earlier at the east side of the Hall of Benevolent Peace in the Palace. It has been confirmed as part of a group of architectural projects built during the Ming Dynasty.

Although it is still hard to calculate the exact length and width of the wall foundation, it is certain that the disappearing wall on the remaining site was utilized to divide building blocks in the Palace.

Also, the investigation from a group of experts shows that at the bottom of the trenches there are covering layers of yellow sand and raw soil with organic substances which date back 5,000 to 30,000 years, presumably originating from the sorghum fields flanking a river course running through the Houhai, Beihai and Zhongnanhai lakes, constituting the central line of Beijing. The discovery will be highly valued as a living testimony of the vicissitudes and transformation of the landscape in Beijing, the study of ancient architecture and the changes of the Forbidden City.

The recent retreat of 1,890 cultural relics displayed at the Hall of Mental Cultivation of the Palace was initiated from May 30 this year. The endeavor has been made to better protect and preserve the relics which will be temporarily withheld from public view. The relics consist of jades, enamels, drapers, royal lamps, bottled plants, ink stones, calligraphy works, water paintings and clocks.

An additional effort in the restoration of Yuqing Hall, a residence-turned-study room for crown princes, has almost been paid off as the project is scheduled to be completed at the end of June this year.

The Hall has not been renovated for more than half a century. A new round of repair, which started on August 21, 2014, is focused on loosened cogging, fading paintings, the leaking roof and uneven paths.