Uploaded May 2013 | Updated September 2026, 5 hours ago
An antique clock in the Palace Museum at the Forbidden City in Beijing was damaged after a disgruntled visitor smashed a window last Saturday.
The Qing Dynasty era clock fell from its shelf when the visitor smashed a window of the Yikun or Queen Consort Palace.
Palace Museum curator, Shan Jixiang, talks about the incident.
[Shan Jixiang, Palace Museum Curator]:
"The clock has been put here, and visitors can see the clock face from the window. When the man broke the window, the clock fell on its back. So the clock face was slightly damaged. Fortunately, the man did not break the window beside the clock because the cultural relics on both sides of the clock were made of jade. These relics would break into pieces if they fall on the floor."
Shan said the ornate clock was made in Britain during the 18th Century. Its glass cover was broken and several metal pieces were bent or broken. The clock will be restored and put back on display soon.
A 22-year-old man from central Hubei Province—known only by his surname Wang—has been detained.
A museum official said he heard glass breaking and saw a confused Wang at the scene.
According to the Beijing Times and Beijing News, bystanders said Wang became upset after he was stopped from taking photographs. He hit the window and the clock fell when the windowpane shattered.
Built in 1417, the Yikun Palace was the home of concubines in the Forbidden City during the Ming and Qing Dynasties. Today, visitors are only allowed to view the interior from the outside.
After several robberies, and thefts in recent years, as well as the recent incident, better security measures will be put in place. This is part of the plan to renovate the palace for its 600th anniversary in 2020.
An antique clock in the Palace Museum at the Forbidden City in Beijing was damaged after a disgruntled visitor smashed a window last Saturday.
The Qing Dynasty era clock fell from its shelf when the visitor smashed a window of the Yikun or Queen Consort Palace.
Palace Museum curator, Shan Jixiang, talks about the incident.
[Shan Jixiang, Palace Museum Curator]:
"The clock has been put here, and visitors can see the clock face from the window. When the man broke the window, the clock fell on its back. So the clock face was slightly damaged. Fortunately, the man did not break the window beside the clock because the cultural relics on both sides of the clock were made of jade. These relics would break into pieces if they fall on the floor."
Shan said the ornate clock was made in Britain during the 18th Century. Its glass cover was broken and several metal pieces were bent or broken. The clock will be restored and put back on display soon.
A 22-year-old man from central Hubei Province—known only by his surname Wang—has been detained.
A museum official said he heard glass breaking and saw a confused Wang at the scene.
According to the Beijing Times and Beijing News, bystanders said Wang became upset after he was stopped from taking photographs. He hit the window and the clock fell when the windowpane shattered.
Built in 1417, the Yikun Palace was the home of concubines in the Forbidden City during the Ming and Qing Dynasties. Today, visitors are only allowed to view the interior from the outside.
After several robberies, and thefts in recent years, as well as the recent incident, better security measures will be put in place. This is part of the plan to renovate the palace for its 600th anniversary in 2020.
