Plan aims to better protect Palace Museum

The Palace Museum in Beijing may have wider jurisdiction over its neighboring areas in the future, according to a draft blueprint released on Tuesday.

The 106-hectare museum, also known as the Forbidden City, China's royal palace from 1420 to 1911, was listed as a UNESCO World Cultural Heritage site in 1987.

However, its auxiliary buildings, neighboring waters and green spaces are administered by many other institutions, making it difficult to coordinate efforts, according to Chen Tongbin, a historical architecture expert with the China Architecture Design & Research Group which drafted the blueprint.