The second volume on valuable cultural relics collected in the Palace Museum has been published recently.

The second volume is divided into four sections respectively on pottery and ceramic pieces made from the Yuan Dynasty (1271 - 1368) to Qing Dynasty (1644 - 1911), and paintings by famous painters in the early years of the Qing Dynasty like Shi Tao and Zhu Da.

The first volume, published last year, focused on palatial paintings of the Qing Dynasty, colorful artifacts and western musical instruments collected by royal families.

Relics collected in the Palace Museum are believed to reflect the essence of Chinese culture. About 12,000 pieces of them will be introduced in details in the series.

(Eastday.com 12/24/2000)