The Palace Museum, also known as the Forbidden City, will be closed to the public every Monday for renovation and maintenance from next year, it announced Monday.

The former imperial palace has been closed on Monday afternoons this year. The closure is being extended to cover the whole of Monday from January 1. On Mondays, ancient architecture will be renovated, cultural relics protected and museum staff will receive training, said a museum spokesman. On public holidays and Mondays during July and August, the museum will be open, the spokesman said.

Xinhua