Yul Kwon:
Still in China, the Palace Museum is making it easier for you to see its exhibits. You won't even need a plane ticket to visit Beijing! The museum, which is better known as the Forbidden City, will put more than 1.8 million items from its collection online by the end of the year for virtual visitors to enjoy. CCTV has the story on this and some other upgrades currently in the works.

Reporter:
It's been seven years since the museum started to count its treasures. 90 percent of the items can be found in the catalogue of precious collections. The curator is certainly confident in its standing and appeal.

Shan Jixiang, Palace Museum Curator:
The Palace Museum can stand right alongside the Louvre Museum in Paris, the State Hermitage in St. Petersburg and the British Museum in London. And we're much better than New York's Metropolitan Museum.

Reporter:
Shan says the museum will feature a new display layout and set up permanent exhibitions on unique objects, including bronze, jade and imperial items.

In order to prolong the visiting hours, the museum will also set up the Hall of Dagaoxuan and the Gate of Duan to allow digital tours, so that visitors can continue to see the exhibits after other areas close. The curator says they are also planning weekly culture seminars for visitors starting this summer.

The Palace Museum is located in the heart of Beijing. It was built in 1420 and became a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1987. It was home to China's emperors and the highest center of power for about 500 years.