Relics experts are racing against the clock to repair thousands of antiques that will be exhibited for the first time at the new location of the Capital Museum -- one of the largest museums in China in terms of collections.

Due to the small exhibition space of the museum's current location at the Confucian Temple, most of the antiques have been kept in storerooms for decades, said Curator Han Yong.

He said the museum is expected to move to its new location on Chang'an Avenue at the end of next year, where the exhibition area is almost 20 times the current one.

Liu Shulin, director of the museum's Antique Protection Center, said the repair work is so far the most thorough on the ancient treasures that have been exposed to temperature changes, air pollution, radiation damage, pests and mould over a prolonged period.

"The Confucian Temple is a cultural heritage site with a history of more than 700 years. We cannot make changes to the ancient temple," said Liu, adding that the current storerooms and exhibition halls do not meet antique preservation standards."

He said the repair work, which started in July last year, not only includes the 3,000-5,000 antiques that will be exhibited at the new location, but also covers the remaining tens of thousands that will be moved and stored in modern temperature-controlled storerooms.

The Capital Museum, which opened to the public in 1981, has more than 120,000 sets of antiques, among which, 40,000 sets are cultural relics under State protection.

"We now have four groups engaged in the repair of bronze ware, pottery and porcelain, scripts and paintings, and silk fabric. These craftsmen are working almost day and night," said Liu.

Lu Shuling, an expert engaged in ceramics restoration, told China Daily that it takes at least two months on average to repair each item of porcelain and pottery.

She said the majority of ceramics held by the museum were made during the Yuan Dynasty (1279-1368), and were normally smashed when they were unearthed.

"We need to stick the pieces together. For instance, an ancient pot with beautiful decorative patterns of dragons and phoenixes was smashed into more than 100 pieces when it was discovered at the ruins of the ancient capital city of the Yuan Dynasty.

"After careful restoration, the pieces were pieced together and looked almost exactly like what it had been. The non-professionals can hardly find any traces of repairs," said Lu.

Wang Yarong, an expert in repairing silk fabric, said the old saying "slow work brings forth fine skills" is very appropriate in terms of the restoration of antiques.

Wang said the repair work on a silk fabric unearthed from a tomb of the Western Han Dynasty (206 BC-AD 25) has taken three years, and the work is still not finished yet.

"The fabric is very fragile. We use a kind of high-quality rice paper for traditional Chinese painting and calligraphy to clean the fabric," said Wang.

Jia Wenxi, a renowned expert in the restoration of bronze ware, said his center has introduced modern technology and equipment in the repair of antiques.

(China Daily November 29, 2004)