Refurbishing the Hall of Supreme Harmony has taken more than two years. Its outer wooden walls have been repainted and the main framework strengthened. The Hall's major artistic features, such as the intricate caisson in the ceiling above the throne, the throne itself and the screens behind it, involved slow and painstaking work.

A series of exhibitions has also been launched. A highlight is the porcelain exhibition at the Hall of Literary Glory in the northeast of the Forbidden City. The Palace Museum has selected 441 masterpieces from its vast porcelain collection.

LV Chenglong, Deputy Director Porcelain Dept, Palace Museum, said, "The 441 exhibits span from the New Stone Age to the late Qing Dynasty. Nearly every porcelain type in the history of the development of Chinese porcelain can be found at the exhibition."