Quality of Life to Psoriasis

All types of psoriasis, ranging from mild to severe, can affect a person’s quality of life. Living with this lifelong condition can be physically and emotionally challenging.
Itching, soreness, and cracked and bleeding skin are common। Nail psoriasis can be painful. Even the simple act of squeezing a tube of toothpaste can hurt. One woman described her psoriasis as feeling like “a bad sunburn that won’t go away.”

Several studies have shown that people often feel frustrated। In some cases, psoriasis limits activities and makes it difficult to perform job responsibilities. The National Psoriasis Foundation reports that 56 million work hours are lost each year by those who have psoriasis. Additionally, a survey conducted by the National Psoriasis Foundation in 2002 indicates that 26% of people living with moderate to severe psoriasis have been forced to change or discontinue their normal daily activities.

Studies also have shown that stress, anxiety, loneliness, and low self-esteem are part of daily life for people living with psoriasis। One study found that thoughts of suicide are three times higher for psoriatics than the general population.

Embarrassment is another common feeling. Imagine getting your hair cut and noticing that the stylist or barber is visibly uncomfortable. What if you extended your hand to someone and the person recoiled? How would you feel if you spent most of your life trying to hide your skin?

Family History About the Psoriasis

Some people who have a family history of psoriasis never develop this condition। Research indicates that a “trigger” is needed. Stress, skin injuries, a strep infection, certain medications, and sunburn are some of the known potential triggers. Medications that can trigger psoriasis are anti-malarial drugs, beta-blockers (medication used to treat high blood pressure and heart conditions), and lithium. Dermatologists have seen psoriasis suddenly appear after a person takes one of these medications, gets a strep infection, or experiences another trigger.

Psoriasis research continues to accelerate at a rapid pace and will continue to advance our knowledge of what causes psoriasis.

Genes About Psoriasis

Researchers have identified genes that cause psoriasis. These genes determine how a person’s immune system reacts. These genes can cause psoriasis or another immune-mediated condition, such as rheumatoid arthritis or type 1 diabetes. The risk of developing psoriasis or another immune-mediated condition, especially diabetes or Crohn’s disease, increases when a close blood relative has psoriasis.

Immune Mediated About Psoriasis

Researchers now believe that psoriasis is an immune-mediated condition. This means the condition is caused by faulty signals in the body’s immune system. It is believed that psoriasis develops when the immune system tells the body to over-react and accelerate the growth of skin cells. Normally, skin cells mature and are shed from the skin’s surface every 28 to 30 days. When psoriasis develops, the skin cells mature in 3 to 6 days and move to the skin surface. Instead of being shed, the skin cells pile up, causing the visible lesions.

Causes

Psoriasis may be one of the oldest recorded skin conditions। It was probably first described around 35 AD. Some evidence indicates an even earlier date. Yet, until recently, little was known about psoriasis.

While scientists still do not fully know what causes psoriasis, research has significantly advanced our understanding। One important breakthrough began with the discovery that kidney-transplant recipients who had psoriasis experienced clearing when taking cyclosporine. Since cyclosporine is a potent immunosuppressive medication, this indicates that the immune system is involved.

From http://www.skincarephysicians.com/psoriasisnet/whatis.html

Who Gets Psoriasis

More than 4।5 million adults in the United States have been diagnosed with psoriasis, and approximately 150,000 new cases are diagnosed each year. An estimated 20% have moderate to severe psoriasis.

Psoriasis occurs about equally in males and females। Recent studies show that there may be an ethnic link. It seems that psoriasis is most common in Caucasians and slightly less common in African Americans. Worldwide, psoriasis is most common in Scandinavia and other parts of northern Europe. It appears to be far less common among Asians and is rare in Native Americans.

There also is a genetic component associated with psoriasis। Approximately one-third of people who develop psoriasis have at least one family member with the condition.

Research shows that the signs and symptoms of psoriasis usually appear between 15 and 35 years of age. About 75% develop psoriasis before age 40. However, it is possible to develop psoriasis at any age. After age 40, a peak onset period occurs between 50 and 60 years of age.
About 1 in 10 people develop psoriasis during childhood, and psoriasis can begin in infancy। The earlier the psoriasis appears, the more likely it is to be widespread and recurrent.

Psoriatic arthritis develops in roughly one million people across the United States, and 5% to 10% experience some disability. Psoriatic arthritis usually first appears between 30 and 50 years of age — often months to years after skin lesions first occur. However, not everyone who develops psoriatic arthritis has psoriasis. About 30% of people who get psoriatic arthritis never develop the skin condition.

Histroy of the Psoriasis

Psoriasis is probably one of the longest known illnesses of humans and simultaneously one of the most misunderstood. Some scholars believe psoriasis to have been included among the skin conditions called tzaraat in the Bible. In more recent times psoriasis was frequently described as a variety of leprosy. The Greeks used the term lepra for scaly skin conditions. They used term psora for itchy conditions. It became known as Willan's lepra in the late 18th century when English dermatologists Robert Willan and Thomas Bateman differentiated it from other skin diseases. They assigned names to the condition based on the appearance of lesions. Willan identified two categories: leprosa graecorum and psora leprosa.
While it may have been visually, and later semantically, confused with leprosy it was not until 1841 that the condition was finally given the name psoriasis by the Viennese dermatologist Ferdinand von Hebra. The name is derived from the Greek word psora which means to itch.
It was during the 20th century that psoriasis was further differentiated into specific types.

From http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Psoriasis

About the Psoriasis

Psoriasis is a disease which affects the skin and joints. It is hypothesized to be immune-mediated. It commonly causes red scaly patches to appear on the skin. The scaly patches caused by psoriasis, called psoriatic plaques, are areas of inflammation and excessive skin production. Skin rapidly accumulates at these sites and takes a silvery-white appearance. Plaques frequently occur on the skin of the elbows and knees, but can affect any area including the scalp and genitals. Psoriasis is not contagious.
The disorder is a chronic recurring condition which varies in severity from minor localised patches to complete body coverage. Fingernails and toenails are frequently affected (psoriatic nail dystrophy). Psoriasis can also cause inflammation of the joints, which is known as psoriatic arthritis. Ten to fifteen percent of people with psoriasis have psoriatic arthritis.
The cause of psoriasis is not known, but it is believed to have a genetic component. Several factors are thought to aggravate psoriasis. These include stress, excessive alcohol consumption, and smoking. Individuals with psoriasis may suffer from depression and loss of self-esteem. As such, quality of life is an important factor in evaluating the severity of the disease. There are many treatments available but because of its chronic recurrent nature psoriasis is a challenge to treat.

From http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Psoriasis

The History of Badaling Great Wall

The Badaling Great Wall locates the northwest of the Beijing, its position is longitude 116 degrees 65 cents east and latitude 40 degrees 25 cents north, it's a pass of Jundu mountain. It extends in all directions which is the reason it be called Badaling.　The name of Badaling, can be read in the oldest poem "Visit Badaling in the Night" that wrote by Jin dynasty poet LiuYing and "Come out Badaling". In the Yuan Dynasty, it was called as "North mountain pass", which is comparative to the "South mountain pass". The South mountain pass locates in the Changping county, between them is a gorge which extends 20 kilomitres and be called "Juyong Gate", this gorge is called "GuanGou". The Badaling Great Wall locates on the ridge of the northern part of the GuanGou. Here, Two peaks face to face, there is a alley between them two, it's a very strategic place. Look down the JuYong Gate from the Badaling, it looks like a well. The ancients said "The risk of The JuYong Gate is not the Guan city, but the Badaling". Because of the importance of the Badaling, it has being the place that the military fight against for. The Badaling became the martial strongpoint from the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period. According to the "Shi Ji" and the work of the archaeologists, we can prove that there is The Great Wall in the Warring States Period in the Badaling. It also consistent with what we can see today. The "Shui Jing Zhu" of North Wei records:"JuYong Gate locates in the JuYong place, there a vertical gorge in the south of it ……" So, the experts Badaling is just the Guan Zhi. The name of "JuYong" comes from a story, Long time ago, the Qin Shi Huang force a group of farmers build The Great Wall, and these farmers dwelled in a country, later the country was named Ju Yong country by the Han Wu Di.　1500 years ago, North Wei built a strap of Great Wall in the Badaling. According to the "Wei Shu Shi Zhu Ben Ji", in the 446 year, at Datong, the emperor built the Great Wall whose name is "Sai Wei", The eastern part be in the Badaling and the western part be in bank of The Yellow River. Since to the 555 year, the Great was extended to the sea.　The Badaling Great Wall was rebuilt in the Ming Dynasty.　The Ming Tai Zhu Zhuyuan Zhang understood the importance of the Great Wall, after his ascending the throng, he repaired or rebuilt the Great Wall. Zhuyuan Zhang commanded the general XuDa and FengSheng lead the army to guard on the Great Wall to guard against the force of the Yuan.　1403 year, the 3th emperor of Ming Dynasty ZhuLi ascent the throng. 1420 year, he move the capital from the Nanjing to Beijing. He decided to unify the whole China. 1488 year, he began the vast project of building the Great Wall. Pass through 270 years, The Great Wall was linked one chain. It begins from the Yalu River and end on the Bulongji in the Ganshu province, that is The Great Wall we now refer to. The Ming Great Wall extends more then 7300 kilomitres, passages 7 provinces,citys and municipalitys. Its level of project and recovery extent are both best with the old Great Wall. Now we can say,The Great Wall was built in the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period; linked in the Qin Dynasty; perfected in the Ming Dynasty. 　The Ming Great Wall, is no longer a simple high wall, but a rigorous recovery system. Ningxia, Shanxi, Shangxi, Heibei all have the parts of the Great Wall. Many Guan citys and short walls were built in this important place,for instance Yanmen Gate etc.　The Badaling is the testimony of the fatal historical events. The first emperor Qinshihuang came back to Xianyang, Xiao queen mother went on a tour of inspection, Yuantaizhu enter the Chian etc. The poems and articles are without number. The great historical dramas about the disputes between nations are also without number. Now these things have been become the history. Age endow The Great Wall with the new meaning and mission. It is a historical monument, which stands tall and upright in mountains, materialize the Chinese civilization and sapiential. It has become the bridge between us and foreign people.It is the Oriental culture inheritance belongs to the whole human being.　After the People's Republic of China coming into existence, 1952 year, Guomoruo associate premier suggested rehab the Great Wall to welcome the visitor that come from domestic and fremdness. 　Since the Qing Dynasty, the Badaling Great Wall has been becoming deserted. The city towers to west of Guan city had been destroied severity, the body of the city wall, buttress, wall, fight building etc had been destroied severity too. After the State Department decided to repair it, The Great Wall had been rehabilitated several times.　1961 year, the State Department confirmed the Badaling Great Wall was the significant cultural relic unit to be protected in China. 1984 year, Dengxiaoping called people "Loving our China,repairing our Great Wall". Now The Great Wall is becoming more and more beautiful and gallant. 1986 years, the Great Wall was choosed one scene of the sixteen scenes in Beijing. 1987 year, the U.N. accept it as the "Oriental culture inheritance of the whole world". 1991 year, 1992 year,etc.　The Badaling Great Wall resound in the whole world, it is the first part which open to tourist of the Great Wall. Heretofore. It has welcome tourists more than 130000000. Nixon, Riken, Sarchel, Mikhail Gorbachev, Yilizabor etc, 372 mugwumps visited the Great Wall.　The Badaling Great Wall is the soul of the whole Great Wall, it is welcoming the tourist come from the whole world. The man who has visited The Great Wall are all acclaimed as the peak of perfection.

The History of The Great Wall

The Great Wall is well-known because of its magnificent majestic appearance.Now,in the call of "Loving our China, repairing our Great Wall", many places of The Great Wall have be repaired, which make it more boundless. The Great Wall has become the head key point of interest in China. more and more foreign people was attracted by it. The people who visited it are all acclaim as the peak of perfection.
　The Great Wall convolves on the ridges of mountains and desert.It's maked up of city gates,circumvallations, enemy towers,signal beacon towers and so on, it was the martial recovery engineering system of the different place and nations in China Long time ago.It was built through several thousands years by Chinese people, it's the embodiment of the Great power and strong purpose of Chinese people. It has become the irradiant treasure of our Chinese archaic civilization. Many move one to praises and tears stories have taken place between the people bide inside and outside of The Great Wall in the long time traffics, it has been attracting many bookmen indited or paint for it, which added so many cantos and paints to our artistic thesaurus.
　B.c. Eleven Century, Xi-Zhou, Our country had the recordation that is "The city wall set down in the north". From B.c. Seven Century to B.c. Three Century that is called the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period, The princes of many little states began to fight and swallow up each other. They all built the long city wall for self-defence, for instance, Chu state built its wall in the Nanyang district firstly, Qi state built its wall in the Shandong province, Zhongshan state, Wei state, Han state, Yan state, Zhao state, Qin state and so on all began to build their city wall. The total of the city wall's length was more than five thousand kilometre, but they were distracted from each other.
　B.c. 221 Year, QinShiHuang consolidated all six states, He pulled down the wall between the states one side, the other side he built the new city wall in the north to defense the Hun. He command MengTian general and thousands upon thousands people to build the new city wall, it stretch more than five thousand kilometre in an unbroken chain, which is the oldest Great Wall.
　During the West Han state period, The Hun in the north bacame more and more stronger, So the Han state had to build new city wall, and strengthen the old Qin Great Wall. From the eastern parts of Liaoning province to the YuMen gate, The Great Wall is longer then ten thousand kilometre. Its scale had beyond the Qin Great Wall's by far. During the East Han state period, people built new wall inside of the West Han Great Wall to defense the Serbi and the Qiang nationality, The length of it is more then five kilomitres also. The Great Wall which was built in the two Han period, is the biggest project in our history.
　After this, the nations in the north began to come into the north of China, city gate and backland. They built the new North Dynasty kaiserdom, standed face to the North Dynasty kaiserdom. The West Wei state, East Wei state, West Qi state,West Zhou state in the North Dynasty kaiserdom, all built the mulriple Great Wall in the northern parts of Yellow River. The Shui Dynasty unified the whole nation, then built the new city wall from the middle-head reaches of the Yellow River to the western parts of Ganshu province, its length is three kilomitres, and it forms a new system with the eastern Great Wall.
　During the Tang Dynasty, the power of country is so strong that the all nantion in the north have to submit to the authority of Tang, So the archon haven't built any new Great Wall, only built three city to accept surrenders.Here, the eastern Gaoli built more the one thousand kilomitres Great wall from the northeast of China to the Datong River estuary to defense Tang.
　In the Zhu,Liao,Jin Dynasty Period, the north parts of Chian was occupied by the Khitan, the west parts of the Yellow River was occupied by West Xia, The North Song Dynasty only repaired the Yan Gate. Since this, Liao and Jin state became more and mire stronger, and occupied the whole parts in the north of the Yellow River, so the South Song has no ability to build any new Great Wall.But the Liao-Jin kaiserdom built the new Great Wall in the northeastern parts of Neimenggu province to fight against the other nantion in the northern parts. People often call it as "Genghis khan City Wall".
　After the Ming Dynasty was founded, the archons began to build new Great Wall in the northern parts of China to defense the Yuan state come back and Dadan, Waci, Nvzhen etc.And they also built many Great Wall in southeast of China near to the sea to oppugn the foreign enemy. The count of the Ming Great Wall is the best large in our history. The main part of it begins from the the Yalu River to the JiaYu Gate, its length is more than seven thousand kilomitres. Thereinto, The part which from ShanHai Gate to the JiaYu Gate is kept most well.
　At the beginning of Qing Dynasty, in the Liaoning,Jilin Province people built the ShengJing city wall, it extends 2600 kilomitres. And the people also repaired the ShanHai, JuYong, YanMen, JiaYu Gate etc. But from the metaphase of Qing Dynasty, the Great have not been repaired more.
　Now, Under the years run out and the man-made destroy, Many parts of The Great Wall have become very slipshod, even includes the Ming Great Wall. But The Great Wall whose length is more than a hundred thousand kilomitres is the huge Chinese dragon, is the best greatness and grandest work in the history of the whole human being. It also materializes the architectural skill. Now the people who bide inside and outside of The Great Wall, through the long time traffics, have unified one big family. The Great Wall is the symbolize of our China and is our pride. It will also contribute to promotion the friendship between people who come from the different countries.

About Beihai Park in Beijing

Beihai Park located in central Beijing, is one of the oldest and most authentically perserved imperial gardens in China. It has a history of 1000 years.

Beihai has existed throughout the Liao, Jin, Yuan, Ming and Qing Dynasties. Most of the buildings now standing were constructed during Emperor Qianlong's regin in the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911 A.D.).

Beihai was opened to the public in 1925 and in 1961 it was one of the first important cultural sites placed under protection by the State Council. The park occupies an area of 69 hectares including a 39-hectare lake. In the garden, pavilions and towers nestle amid the beautiful scenery of lakes and hills,grass and trees. Carrying on the traditions of garden landscaping of ancient China Beihai is a gem of garden art.

A Brief History of the Palace Museum

The Palace Museum, historically and artistically one of the most comprehensive Chinese museums, was established on the foundation of the palace that was the ritual center of two dynasties, the Ming and the Qing, and their collections of treasures। Designated by the State Council as one of China's foremost protected monuments in 1961, the Palace Museum was also made a UNESCO World Heritage site in १९८७.

Situated at the heart of Beijing, the Palace Museum is approached through Tiananmen Gate. Immediately to the north of the Palace Museum is Prospect Hill (also called Coal Hill), while on the east and west are Wangfujing and Zhongnanhai neighborhoods. It is a location endowed with cosmic significance by ancient China's astronomers. Correlating the emperor's abode, which they considered the pivot of the terrestrial world, with the Pole Star (Ziweiyuan), which they believed to be at the center of the heavens, they called the palace The Purple Forbidden City. The Forbidden City was built from 1406 to 1420 by the third Ming emperor Yongle who, upon usurping the throne, determined to move his capital north from Nanjing to Beijing. In 1911 the Qing dynasty fell to the republican revolutionaries. The last emperor, Puyi, continued to live in the palace after his abdication until he was expelled in 1924. Twenty-four emperors lived and ruled from this palace during this 500-year span.

The Forbidden City is surrounded by 10-metre high walls and a 52-metre wide moat. Measuring 961 meters from north to south and 753 meters from east to west, it covers an area of 720,000 square meters. Each of the four sides is pierced by a gate, the Meridian Gate (Wu men) on the south and the Gate of Spiritual Valor (Shenwu men) on the north being used as the entrance and exit by tourists today. Once inside, visitors will see a succession of halls and palaces spreading out on either side of an invisible central axis. It is a magnificent sight, the buildings' glowing yellow roofs against vermilion walls, not to mention their painted ridges and carved beams, all contributing to the sumptuous effect.

Known as the Outer Court, the southern portion of the Forbidden City centers on the halls of Supreme Harmony, Central Harmony, and Preserving Harmony. These are flanked by the halls of Literary Glory and Military Eminence. It was here that the emperor held court and conducted his grand audiences.

Mirroring this arrangement is the Inner Court at the northern end of the Forbidden City, with the Palace of Heavenly Purity, the Hall of Union, and the Palace of Earthly Tranquility straddling the central axis, surrounded by the Six Palaces of the East and West and the Imperial Garden to the north. Other major buildings include the halls for Worshipping Ancestors and of Imperial Splendor on the east, and the Hall of Mental Cultivation, the Pavilion of the Rain of Flowers and the Palace of Benevolent Tranquility on the west. These contain not only the residences of the emperor and his empress, consorts and concubines but also the venues for religious rites and administrative activities.

In total, the buildings of the two courts account for an area of some 163,000 square meters. These were laid out precisely in accordance with a code of architectural hierarchy, which designated specific features to reflect the paramount authority and status of the emperor. No ordinary mortal would have been allowed or even dared to come within close proximity of these buildings.

After the republican revolution, this Palace as a whole would have been sequestered by the Nationalist government were it not for the "Articles of Favorable Treatment of the Qing House" which allowed Puyi to live on in the Inner Court after his abdication. Meanwhile, all of the imperial treasures from palaces in Rehe (today's Chengde) and Mukden (today's Shenyang) were moved to the Forbidden City for public display in History Museum established at the Outer Court in 1914. While confined to the Inner Court, Puyi continuously used such vestiges of influence as still remained to plot his own restoration. He also systematically stole or pawned a huge number of cultural relics under the pretext of granting them as rewards to his courtiers and minions or taking them out for repair.

In 1924, during a coup launched by the warlord Feng Yuxiang, Puyi was expelled from the Forbidden City and the management of the palace fell to the charge of a committee set up to deal with the concerns of the deposed imperial family. The committee began a sorting and counting of the imperial treasures. A year of intense preparations later, its members arranged a grand ceremony on 10 October 1925 in front of the Palace of Heavenly Purity to mark the inception of the Palace Museum. News of the opening flashed across the nation, and such was the scramble of visitors on the first day that traffic jams around Beijing brought the city almost to a standstill.

According to a 28-volume inventory published in 1925, the treasure trove left by the Qing numbered more than 1,170,000 items including sacrificial vessels and ancient jade artifacts from the earliest dynasties; paintings and calligraphy from the Tang, Song, Yuan and Ming dynasties; porcelain from the Song and Yuan; a variety of enamelware and lacquer ware; gold and silver ornaments; relics in bamboo, wood, horn and gourds; religious statues in gold and bronze; as well as numerous imperial robes and ornaments; textiles; and furniture. In addition, there were countless books, literary works and ancient records. All these were divided into separate collections of antiquities, library materials and historical documents and placed under teams of staff to sort and collate. Exhibition halls were opened to display some of the treasures, while writers and editors worked away at publishing in book or journal form all the new areas of research and academic inquiry that the establishment of the museum had ushered in. The Palace Museum was soon a hive of activity.

Shortly before the outbreak of World War II, the Japanese, having annexed territory in China's northeast, proceeded to march on Beijing. With this looming threat, the museum authorities decided to evacuate its collection rather than let it fall into enemy hands or risk destruction in battle. For four frantic months between February and May 1933, the most important pieces in the collection were packed into 13,427 crates and 64 bundles and sent to Shanghai in five batches. From there they were dispatched to Nanjing where a depository was built and a branch of the Palace Museum established.

On 7 July 1937 shots fired around Marco Polo Bridge west of Beijing heralded the eruption of the Sino-Japanese War. Within a year, the Japanese had penetrated to most of eastern China. Now the treasures stored in Nanjing had to be moved again, this time by three routes to Sichuan, where they were secreted in three locations, Baxian, Emei and Leshan. Only at the end of the war were they consolidated in Chongqing, whence they were returned to Nanjing in 1947. By then the Nationalists were considerably weakened, and with the imminent takeover by the Communist armies of areas south of the Yangtze, they began their retreat to Taiwan. Between the end of 1948 and the dawn of 1949, the Nationalists picked relics to fill 2,972 crates for shipping across the Strait. A rival Palace Museum was set up in Taipei to display these antiquities. Most of what were left were gradually returned to Beijing, although to this day 2,221 crates remain in safe-keeping in storag in Nanjing.

During this tumultuous decade of war and revolution, not one item of the treasures was lost or damaged even though the volume involved was enormous. This was largely due to the dedicated energy of the Palace Museum staff, whose achievement in preserving these treasures was nothing short of heroic. But it was also as a result of this long period of upheaval that the treasures have been dispersed. Yet the rationale for keeping the collection together, representative as it is of the motherland's traditional culture, seems so incontestable that most people believe the treasures will be re-united one day.

In the early 1950s, shortly after the establishment of the People's Republic, the Palace Museum staff worked with a new will and enthusiasm to return the Forbidden City to its former glory. Where previously the dirty and dilapidated halls and courts lay under weeds and piles of rubbish, some 250,000 cubic meters of accumulated debris were now cleared out, giving the place a sparkling fresh look. A policy of comprehensive rehabilitation was also launched, and in time the crumbling palace buildings, repaired, and redecorated, looked resplendent once more. All the tall buildings were equipped with lightning conductors, while modern systems of fire protection and security were installed. It has been a priority of the People's Government, particularly since the beginning of the reform era in the early 1980s, to keep the surrounding moat dredged and clean.

As for the collection of antiquities, a systematic inventory was completed during the 1950s and 1960s, redressing the legacy of inaccurate cataloguing. The collection was moreover augmented, for example by the salvage of a number of precious artifacts from a jumble of apparently worthless objects. After more than a decade of painstaking efforts, some 710,000 relics from the Qing palace were retrieved. At the same time, through national allocations, requisitions and private donations, more than 220,000 additional pieces of cultural significance were added, making up for such omissions from the original Qing collection as colored earthenware from the Stone Age, bronzes and jades from the Shang and Zhou Dynasties, pottery tomb figurines from the Han Dynasty, stone sculpture from the Northern and Southern Dynasties, and tri-color glazed pottery from the Tang Dynasty. The ancient paintings, scrolls and calligraphy added to the collection were particularly spectacular. These included, from the Jin Dynasty, Lu Ji's cursive calligraphy "A consoling letter" (Ping fu tie), Wang Xun's " Letter to Boyuan (Bo yuan tie) and Gu Kaizhi's "Goddess of the Luo River" (Luo shen fu tu); from the Sui Dynasty, Zhan Ziqian's landscape handscroll "Spring Outing" (You chun tu) ; from the Tang Dynasty, Han Huang's "Five Oxen" (Wu niu tu ), Du Mu's running-cursive script handscroll "Song of the Courtesan Zhan Haohao" (Zhang haohao shi) ; from the Five Dynasties, Gu Hongzhong's "The Night Revels of Han Xizai" (Han Xizai yeyan tu) "; from the Song Dynasty, Li Gonglin's "Painting after Wei Yan's Pasturing Horses" (Lin Wei Yan mu fang tu) Guo Xi's "Dry tree and rock, level distance landscape" (Ke shi pingyuan tu), and Zhang Zeduan's "Going up River on Spring Festival" (Qingming shang he tu)--all masterpieces without exception.

Unremitting though this attempt at recovery has been, however, there have been further exertions in recent years to acquire such works as Zhang Xian's "Landscape with Poems (Shi yong tu)" (Song Dynasty), Nai Xian's calligraphy "Ancient poem on south of the city" (Cheng nan yong gu shi) (Yuan Dynasty), Shen Zhou's landscape handscroll "After Huang Gongwang's 'Dwelling in the Fuchun Mountains'" (Fang Huang Gongwang fuchun shan ju tu) (Ming Dynasty), Shi Tao's ink bamboo "Calling Wen Yuke" (Gao hu Yu ke tu) (Qing Dynasty). The first two were spirited out of the palace by the last emperor Puyi on the excuse of bestowing them on his brother Pu Jie; they fell into the hands of others and only now have been returned to their rightful place in the Palace Museum collection.

From the 1950s onwards, the museum's existing storehouses were completely overhauled to provide a damp-proof and insect-proof environment for the treasures. In the 1990s a new storehouse with a capacity of over 600,000 items was built, equipped with controls for maintaining constant temperature and humidity, as well as safeguards against fire and theft. A workshop was established in the 1950s and expanded in the 1980s to encompass a scientific Conservation Department. These not only continued traditions of craftsmanship, but also drew upon scientific discoveries to facilitate the restoration of damaged relics. In the past few decades the Conservation Department has treated as many as 110,000 objects from the Palace Museum and other public collections. Besides its continuous refurbishment of the main courts and halls, the museum has opened galleries to display bronzes, porcelain, crafts, paintings and calligraphy, jewelry, and clocks to expand the scope of its exhibitions. A number of thematic shows have been held in galleries devoted to temporary exhibitions; in recent years these have included such acclaimed ones as "A Comparison of Authentic and Counterfeit Paintings and Calligraphy", "Genuine and Imitation Examples of Ancient Porcelain and Materials from Ancient Kilns", "The Art of Packaging at the Qing Court" and "Selections from the Finest Acquisitions of the Last Fifty Years". Traveling exhibitions have also graced various provincial museums and museums abroad. In fact, since the beginning of the economic-reform era, an increasing number of exhibitions have been mounted in countries such as Britain, the USA, France, the former Soviet Union, Germany, Austria, Spain, Australia, Japan and Singapore, among others. All of them have aroused great interest and admiration and played a key part in the promotion of international understanding and cultural exchange.

The number of visitors to the Palace Museum has risen along with the growth of tourism, in the last decade reaching six to eight million a year.

General interest has been further stimulated by the Palace Museum's range of publications touching on both the architecture of its buildings and its vast cultural holdings. Published works include Famous Historical Paintings in the Palace Museum Collection, Selected Porcelain from the Palace Museum Collection, National Treasures, Palaces of the Forbidden City, Daily Life in the Forbidden City, A Collection of National Treasures, and The Complete Palace Museum Collection (in 60 volumes, of which 18 have been published so far). There are also two periodicals, The Palace Museum and The Forbidden City.

Since 1997, the Palace Museum's administration has been significantly reorganized. Where previously there were three departments covering conservation, exhibition and research, these have now been split into the departments of Antiquities; of Painting and Calligraphy; of Palace Arts; and the Exhibition, Promotion and Education Department. With substantial investment, the latest technology has been deployed by the newly established Resources and Information Center to set up the Palace Museum website. The website you are now browsing enables all, even those in distant places, to enjoy a sightseeing tour of this mysterious palace and feast their eyes on its splendid treasures.

The creation of a state-of-the-art virtual Imperial Palace is no longer just a dream.
By Yang Xin

History of Tsinghua

Tsinghua University, located in the northwestern suburbs of Beijing, was established in 1911 on the site of "Qing Hua Yuan" - a former royal garden of the Qing Dynasty. Funded with part of the "Boxer Indemnity," it was at first a preparatory school called "Tsinghua Xuetang" for those students who were sent by the government to study in the United States.

On April 29, 1911, Tsinghua Xuetang began its first term, and from then on the last Sunday of April was set as the school's anniversary. The name was changed to "Tsinghua School" after the 1911 Revolution.

In 1925, a university section was established, offering a four－year program for students. In 1928, its name was changed to "National Tsinghua University，" and in the autumn of 1929 a graduate school was set up.

Following the outbreak of the War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression in 1937, Tsinghua University, Peking University and Nankai University merged to form the Southwest Associated University in Kunming. After the war, Tsinghua University moved back to the original campus in Beijing and resumed operation at its present location.

Three years after the founding of the People's Republic of China, a nationwide restructuring of institutes of higher education was initiated, and in 1952, Tsinghua University became a multidisciplinary polytechnic university with an emphasis on training engineers. In November of that year, the Ministry of Education appointed Jiang Nanxiang as President.

Since 1978, during the period of reform and opening to the rest of the world, Tsinghua University has gradually restored such disciplines as science, economic management, humanities and law. In 1999, Tsinghua opened the School of Arts and Design by merging with the Central Academy of Arts and Design. Tsinghua has become a leading comprehensive university with engineering as its focus, while concurrently offering degrees in science, liberal arts, management and law.

At the end of 2000, Tsinghua University had eight colleges and 43 departments, 44 research institutes, nine engineering research centers, and 163 laboratories, including 15 national key laboratories. The university offers 37 bachelor's degree programs, 107 master's degree programs and 64 Ph.D. programs.

To fully implement the "China Education Reform and Development Program," Tsinghua University has set new development targets for the next 15 years. Educational quality and effectiveness will be improved and disciplinary structure will be adjusted. Based on our strength in engineering, the university will promote the development of science and management departments. Humanities and social sciences will stress particular areas with high academic standards.

In less than 100 years, Tsinghua University has witnessed and shared the hardships and glories of the nation. The university's motto of "Self-discipline and Social Commitment" has inspired many generations of Tsinghua teachers and students to struggle for the prosperity of China. Now, striving to build Tsinghua University into a world-class university by its 100th anniversary in 2011 has become the objective of each member of the teaching staff and the student body.

	1911 Establishment of "Tsinghua Xue Tang", later changed to "Tsinghua School" (preparatory school for students to study in the USA)
	1925 Establishment of college division
	1928 "National Tsinghua University" is set up with 16 departments in four schools： Liberal Arts, Law, Sciences, and Engineering
	1937 Tsinghua moved to Changsha, merged with Peking University and Nankai University to form "Changsha Temporary University"
	1938 Moved to Kunming, name changed to "Southwest Associated University"
	1946 Returned to original campus - "Qing Hua Yuan" in Beijing, with 26 departments in five schools: Liberal Arts, Law, Sciences, Engineering，and Agriculture and 26 departments
	1952 Becomes polytechnic university after nationwide restructuring
	1978 Nationwide College Entrance Examination is resumed
	1984 Establishment of the first Graduate School in China. ― School of Economic Management is formed out of the existing department of management engineering. － School of Sciences resumes on the basis of science departments.
	1985 First School of Continuing Education opens in China
	1988 Establishment of the School of Architecture on the basis of the Department of Architecture
	1993 Establishment of the School of Humanities and Social Sciences on the basis of former departments and research institutes of humanities and social sciences
	1994 Establishment of the School of Information Science and Technology
	1996 Establishment of the School of Mechanical Engineering
	1999 School of Law resumes operation ― Establishment of the School of Applied Science and Technology ― Establishment of the School of Arts and Design by merging with the Central Academy of Arts and Design
	2000 Establishment of the School of Civil Engineering on the basis of former departments and research institutes of Civil Engineering and Hydraulic and Hydropower Engineering ― School of Public Policy and Management is set up on the basis of department of Public Policy and Management

Introduction about Tsinghua

Situated on several former royal gardens of the Qing Dynasty, surrounded by a few historical sites in northwest Beijing, is the campus of Tsinghua University. The garden-like landscape, with the Wanquan River meandering through, has inspired and motivated generations of students. Tsinghua University was established in 1911 originally as "Tsinghua Xuetang," a preparatory school for students who would be sent by the government to study in universities in the United States. The school was renamed "Tsinghua School" in 1912. The university section was instituted in 1925 and undergraduate students were then enrolled. The name "National Tsinghua University" was adopted in 1928, and in 1929 the Research Institute was set up. Although Western culture was pervasive in the early history of the university, Chinese culture were also cherished and widely studied. The faculty greatly valued the interaction between the Chinese and Western cultures, the sciences and humanities, the ancient and modern. Tsinghua scholars Wang Guowei, Liang Qichao, Chen Yinque and Zhao Yuanren, renowned as the "Four Tutors" in the Institute of Chinese Classics, advocated this belief and had a profound impact on Tsinghua's later development. The Resistance War against the Japanese Invasion in 1937 shattered the campus' serenity and forced Tsinghua to move to Kunming and join with Peking University and Nankai University to form the "Southwest Associated University." Despite the tumult, hardships and material scarcity brought on by the war, the teachers and students persisted with their work and studies, achieving outstanding academic performance even under such difficult conditions. After the war, in 1946, the university was moved back to its original location in Beijing. The Tsinghua faculty and students have left a lasting imprint on the history of modern China. They actively resisted the Japanese invasion, participated in the influential "December 9th Movement of Patriotism and Democracy" and the movement of the "Struggle against Starvation, Civil War and Persecution," and devoted themselves to the pursuit and spread of the truth that would give new birth to the nation in the midst of her struggle for independence. After the founding of the People's Republic of China, the university was molded into a polytechnic institution focusing on engineering in the nationwide restructuring of universities and colleges undertaken in 1952. In November 1952, Jiang Nanxiang became the president of the university. He sought to best way to promote Chinese higher education and made significant contributions in redirecting Tsinghua to become the national center for training engineers and scientists with both professional proficiency and personal integrity. Tsinghua has flourished since 1978, with the re-establishment of the departments in sciences, economics and management, and the humanities. The Tsinghua graduate school has been recognized nationally, ranking first in the National Evaluation of Graduate Schools. The School of Continuing Education makes the best use of modern information technologies, as well as the advanced educational resources at Tsinghua. Currently, the university consists of 44 departments distributed in 11 schools, including the schools of sciences, architecture, civil engineering, mechanical engineering, information science and technology, humanities and social sciences, economics and management, law, arts and design, public policy and management, and applied technology. A medical school is currently being established. Tsinghua is developing into a comprehensive university at a breathtaking pace. With a splendid legacy accumulated over the past 90 years, Tsinghua has retained its character and charm while promoting rigorous scholarship research, ensuring academic and educational prestige in China and abroad. The university currently has over 7,100 faculty and staff, with over 900 full professors and 1,200 associate professors, including 24 members of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and 24 members of the Chinese Academy of Engineering. The educational philosophy of Tsinghua is to "train students with integrity." Among the over 100,000 students who have graduated from Tsinghua since its founding are many outstanding scholars, eminent entrepreneurs and great statesmen remembered and respected by their fellow Chinese citizens. Hence, to study at Tsinghua is the dream of many Chinese youth. Presently, Tsinghua has over 20,000 students, including 12,000 undergraduates, 6,200 master's degrees candidates and 2,800 doctoral candidates. With strong support from the nation and in the face of unprecedented opportunities, Tsinghua University is poised to become a world-class university in the 21st century. With the inspiring motto "Self-discipline and Social Commitment," Tsinghua is dedicated to the well being of Chinese society.