The year 2020 has been a tough one in which we suffered from the coronavirus epidemic and faced enormous challenges in many aspects of life. In spite of this, we still made many achievements in the cultural field. Let's review and carry on our journey bravely in the coming new year.

Artists stage a Kunqu Opera performance in front of the Palace of Compassion and Tranquility (Cining Gong) on May 18, 2016. [Photo by Jiang Dong/China Daily]

1. The Forbidden City celebrates 600th anniversary

The Forbidden City, known today as the Palace Museum, is celebrating the 600th anniversary of the completion of the compound's construction this year.

The Forbidden City in the heart of Beijing, a 720,000-square-meter palace complex made of wood and earthen bricks, is the largest surviving specimen of its kind in the world.

This compound served as the imperial palace from 1420 to 1911, where 24 emperors once lived. It stands as a testimony to past glory that informs contemporary people about Chinese civilization's advanced thought and practices across six centuries.

Eighteen landmark years during the six centuries of history have been chosen to highlight the exhibits in chronological order to show how the compound was born, grew and matured.