The "Reconstrcuting Elegance： National Museum of China's Achievements in Cultural Conversation" was continuously displayed in the National Museum of China. “Led” by the carefully restored first-class cultural relics, and organically combined various kinds of objects such as historical archives, original cultural relics, replicas, specimens, restoration tools, instruments and equipment, this exhibition recreates the restoration of cultural relics such as bronzes, calligraphy and painting since the founding of the National Museum of China 110 years ago, as well as the reproduction techniques and achievements. The development and progress of cultural protection concepts and technologies in various periods are displayed in a wonderful way, such as professional expression, and vivid science popularization, which attracted audiences from all walks of life.
This is just a microcosm of the cultural heritage protection industry in China, which preserves the cultural context and protects the cultural genes of the Chinese nation. In recent years, the protection of cultural relics in China has been greatly improved. During the 13th Five Year Plan period, 62000 pieces (sets) of state-owned precious cultural relics in the collection of museums have been protected and restored. In the meanwhile, however, it should be noted that the work of cultural relics in China is still in the stage of rescue protection, the number of cultural relics in the collection to be repaired is not small, the gap of cultural relics protection and restoration personnel is large, and it’s urgent to make up the talent gap.
The report of the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China proposed to “strengthen the protection of cultural relics and cultural heritage” and “inherit the excellent traditional Chinese culture”. The restoration of cultural relics is an indispensable part to strengthen the protection of cultural relics and cultural heritage in the new era.
The restoration of cultural relics has become one of the hot issues in the cultural and museum industry in recent years. In 2016, the popularity of the documentary “Masters In Forbidden City ” on CCTV enabled the cultural relics restorers to come to the front of the stage from backstage, and also brought the “cold” industry of cultural relics restoration into the public's view. “Least intervention” ...... the restoration of cultural relics is inseparable from skilled craftsmen and high-level professionals with knowledge reserves, academic background and practical ability. In October 2021, the first professional skill standard in China’s cultural relics industry, the “National Professional Skill Standard for Cultural Relics Restorers, was issued, which provides guarantee for the construction of cultural relics restoration talents. This year, the Catalogue of Postgraduate Education Disciplines (2022) added a degree subcategory of "cultural relics" in the cross disciplinary category, providing disciplinary and professional support for the cultivation of high-level talents for cultural relics protection. Those policies will further consolidate the foundation for the development of cultural relics protection.
The application of modern science and technology is an important means to protect cultural relics. Traditional restoration techniques and modern science and technology complement each other. In recent years, cross disciplinary and cross field cooperation in China’s cultural relics work has deepened, and the “scientific and technological content” has increased significantly. For example, the technical level in the fields of ancient mural protection and pottery painting cultural relics protection has entered the international first echelon. Laboratory archeological technologies such as carbon 14 dating and DNA analysis have filled a number of academic gaps, and proprietary equipment such as intelligent display cabinets for cultural relics in the library has reached the international leading level. Through this exhibition, the audience saw the efforts and phased achievements of the National Museum of China to promote the application of new materials, new technologies and new means for the protection of cultural relics, strengthen preventive protection, improve the preservation environment of cultural relics, and gradually realize the intelligent protection of cultural relics relying on the “Smart National Museum of China”.
The restoration of cultural relics is related to the continuous inheritance of the Chinese culture, thus its benefits can be everlasting; Cultural relic restorer, like “cultural relic doctors”, carefully care for cultural relics, dedicate to one thing the whole life, and demonstrate the "craftsman spirit", who are worthy of the respect of the whole society.
Translator: SHI Meiling
Reviewer: ZHANG Ruochen
