A once-in-a-decade opportunity! A complete guide to viewing the authentic "Along the River During the Qingming Festival" at the Forbidden City. Miss it and wait another ten years?

A once-in-a-decade opportunity! A complete guide to viewing the authentic "Along the River During the Qingming Festival" at the Forbidden City. Miss it and wait another ten years?🔥 🔴 Why is this exhibition called a "rendezvous of the century"? As the Forbidden City's "top national treasure," Zhang Zeduan's authentic "Along the River During the Qingming Festival" is exhibited so rarely it's heartbreaking; its last public display was ten years ago. This time, coinciding with the "Centennial Guardianship" special exhibition celebrating the 100th anniversary of the Palace Museum, it finally appears alongside "Five Oxen" – these two great national treasures together, truly a carnival day for artifact enthusiasts. What's even more striking is its legendary journey: it was once taken by Puyi to the Manchukuo Imperial Palace, only to be recovered by the People's Liberation Army in Tonghua in 1945, and officially returned to the Forbidden City in 1958. It is a cultural treasure protected by the entire nation. Standing before the painting, gazing at the yellowed brushstrokes, one can almost feel the warmth of the artifact's journey over a hundred years. 📝 Must-see details! The painting hides a "Northern Song Dynasty life documentary." Don't think you can just glance at the painting for a minute! If you've already viewed the high-definition version on the "Forbidden City Famous Paintings" mini-program, you can "spot the differences" accurately on-site. Missing these Easter eggs would truly be a pity: - Rainbow Bridge: A moment of life and death: The bridge is packed with carriages and horses, and boatmen below are frantically lowering their masts, full of tension, as if shouts will be heard any second. - Song Dynasty "delivery guy": Dressed in a short tunic with a belt, scurrying along with a food box. Turns out "instant delivery" existed a thousand years ago! - Street life: Storytellers under trees are surrounded by crowds, people chat over drinks in teahouses, and even the peddler's drum seems to be sounding from the roadside stalls. - 800+ faces of life: Every character in the painting has a different expression – people rushing, hawking, chatting – a vivid "Along the River During the Qingming Festival" of Bianjing in the Northern Song Dynasty. The exhibition hall also features a dynamic digital scroll, where you can watch the people in the painting "come alive," and understand the meaning of "myriad phenomena" as day turns into night. 🚨 Ticket-grabbing + Queueing Secrets! The truth about turning 3 hours into 1 hour. Listen to advice! The experience of netizens this time is incredibly useful, personally tested to save you many detours: 1. Dual reservation is the baseline (first come, first served!) - Forbidden City entrance ticket: Set an alarm for 8 AM, 7 days in advance, to grab tickets on the "Palace Museum" mini-program. Fill in everyone's information beforehand and be quick. - Special exhibition reservation: Grab a spot for the "Centennial Guardianship Special Exhibition" at 8 PM, 7 days in advance. Refresh multiple times to double your success rate; I refreshed 3 times before I got one. ⚠️ Key point: Both are indispensable. The special exhibition is not sold separately but must be reserved. If you don't get a reservation, you can only sigh in disappointment. 2. Time-saving queueing tips (personally tested and effective) - Early bird gets the worm: Arrive at the Meridian Gate before 7 AM to queue. After opening, be among the first to rush to the west side special exhibition entrance, saving 2 hours compared to latecomers. - Don't take the wrong route: Enter through the Meridian Gate and turn left immediately; don't wander into other areas first! The special exhibition is one-way. You can visit other areas after seeing the authentic painting without delay. - Off-peak strategy: Weekday mornings before 9 AM and afternoons after 2 PM have fewer crowds. If all else fails, try your luck around 4 PM for a chance to get in. ✅ Essential gear: Folding stool (queueing savior), comfortable shoes (expect to walk 20,000 steps that day), mineral water + bread (to replenish energy). 🌟 More than just a painting! Don't miss these national treasures. If the queue is really long, don't get stuck! The special exhibition has too many surprises among its 200 sets of artifacts: - "Five Oxen" from the Tang Dynasty: Exhibited alongside "Along the River During the Qingming Festival" until October 29. Who knows how long it will be until they are displayed together again if you miss this one. - "Golden Urn of Eternal Stability" from the Qianlong Emperor: Gilded and inlaid with jewels, the details are so exquisite you can't take your eyes off it. - Rotating exhibition surprise: See "Boyuan Tie" before October 14. From October 15, it will be replaced by "Shangyangtai Tie" and "Dwelling in the Fuchun Mountains (replica)." Collectors might want to visit twice. 💡 Avoid pitfalls & photo guide - Outfit: Plain clothes + red walls are a perfect match! Don't wear anything too flashy; it will steal the spotlight from the artifacts. - Dining: Food inside the Forbidden City is expensive and mediocre. It's recommended to bring some snacks. After leaving, go to a nearby hutong for delicious zhajiangmian. - Cultural products: At the exit, there are "Along the River During the Qingming Festival" bookmarks and puzzles, suitable as souvenirs or gifts. - Taboo: Absolutely no photos allowed on-site! Quietly appreciating is the way to show respect for national treasures. Some say "queuing for 3 hours to see it for 1 minute isn't worth it," but when you truly stand before the authentic painting, watching the thousand-year-old brushstrokes flow before your eyes, and hear the hushed gasps around you, that cross-temporal resonance is something no photo can provide. After all, the next time you see it might be in 2035. 📅 Exhibition dates: September 30 - December 30 (closed Mondays), "Along the River During the Qingming Festival" exhibited until October 29. 📍 Location: Meridian Gate Exhibition Hall of the Forbidden City (enter from the South Gate). Sisters who have already secured tickets, gather in the comments section! Those who haven't can ask me for ticket-grabbing tips. Wishing everyone a wonderful encounter with these thousand-year-old national treasures! 🙌