What it costs

Spurred by high profits in the sale of cultural relics, thefts and robberies are on the rise in Chinese museums, with criminals turning more organized, professional and violent. From the mid-1990s to the early 2000s, 41 art pieces were taken in seven museum robberies across the country, causing three deaths and about 10 injuries.

Shi Baikui (C) is escorted by police in Beijing on May 11, 2011.

For example, on April 11, 1994, three people holding homemade guns broke into the Fushan county museum in Shanxi province. They shot the staff worker on duty and stole five cultural relics. The employee was paralyzed, and his right kidney was removed.

On July 6, 1995, criminals whisked into the Jiangle county museum in Fujian province and stabbed deputy curator Liao Guohua 31 times. Liao died.

On Aug 8, 1996, three people sneaked into the Yongchang county museum in Gansu province. They struck staff worker Yao Zhihong with pincers and wooden sticks, tied him to a bed after he lost consciousness, and stuffed his mouth with a pillow cover. Yao died of suffocation. The criminals fled with 15 art pieces.

The central government has set up a special fund to subsidize museums, many of which have provided free admission since April 2008. The fund covers ticket sale losses, operation costs and exhibition arrangement costs, but does not include money for security.

According to a survey conducted by the State Administration of Cultural Heritage in 2008, only 50 percent of key national museums were up to standards for technical security equipment and only 52 percent met the required criteria for firefighting.

The administration's director, Shan Jixiang, submitted a proposal in March during the Fourth Session of the 11th National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference. He suggested the Ministry of Finance subsidize free-admission museums for security enhancement and accident insurance for security guards.

Now the proposal will sound more persuasive to lawmakers, said Wang Chao, who is a researcher at Lu Xun Museum in Beijing. "The incident is not totally bad. At least security facilities and the administration of museums across the country are likely to be upgraded."

Visitors welcome

The Liangyi Museum exhibition will reopen after substitute display items are installed. The date will be announced.

The rest of the Palace Museum remains open during standard hours. For more information go to www.dpm.org.cn

Previous thefts

These thefts at the Palace Museum have been reported since 1959.

Aug 15, 1959

Staff workers found a large piece of broken glass when they opened the door to the Hall of Mental Cultivation. Eight gold imperial edicts conferring titles of nobility, five knives with jade handles and gold sheaths, and an ancient gold coin had been stolen. Wu Qinghui, 18, was arrested on a train and was carrying cash and the stolen items. He was sentenced to life in prison.

April 16, 1962

Sun Guofan, 36, hid in a dark passage behind the restroom outside the Hall of Treasures. He stepped onto a scaffold and climbed over the wall and into the hall, and stole two large seals made of gold and 24 kilograms of gold dishes. Police were waiting for him when he climbed out. The museum's security office had been alerted by anti-theft alarms. Sun was sentenced to death.

Feb 1, 1980

Chen Yinhua, 25, entered a restroom outside the Treasure Hall at closing time and later stole the gold seal of Imperial Consort Zhen, who was the most beloved concubine of Qing Emperor Guangxu (1871-1908). He was caught before getting out of the Palace Museum and sentenced to life imprisonment.

June 24, 1987

Han Jilin, 22, hid in a small passageway and attempted to steal the seal of Imperial Consort Zhen. He was caught by security guards right after he used a stone to break the glass door to the Hall of Mental Cultivation. He was sentenced to death.

July 6, 1987

During a visit to the museum, 21-year-old Xiang Deqiang decided to steal a dagger used by Qing Emperor Qianlong (1711-1799). He hid in a corner of the museum and climbed into the courtyard of the Hall of Mental Cultivation as evening fell, but was caught by guards before he was able to enter the hall. Xiang was sentenced to life imprisonment.

Sept 10, 1991

Five seals were stolen from the Hall of Treasures. The case remains unsolved.

Sources: Beijing News, a newspaper,and People's Police, a magazine