BEIJING, Feb. 23 (Xinhua) -- The following are highlights of China's key cultural news from the past week:
-- Forbidden City opens night tours for first time
The Palace Museum, also known as the Forbidden City, extended its opening hours on Tuesday and Wednesday, allowing the public to celebrate the Lantern Festival at night in the ancient palace for the first time.
The main locations open to the public include the Meridian Gate exhibition hall, the Gate of Supreme Harmony, the East Wall and the Gate of Divine Might. Visitors can enjoy the magnificent view of a lit-up palace.
It is the first time the museum was open to the public for free at night in its 94-year history. The museum said that high-tech techniques were used to create the light show to avoid damage to the ancient buildings.
-- "The Wandering Earth" takes second place in China's all-time box office
Chinese sci-fi blockbuster "The Wandering Earth" took second place in China's all-time box office, trailing behind the 2017 action film "Wolf Warriors II," according to Maoyan, a professional box office tracker.
"The Wandering Earth" has grossed more than 4 billion yuan (595.77 million U.S. dollars) at the box office since its premiere on Feb. 5, while "Wolf Warriors II" raked in over 5.6 billion yuan in total in the domestic market.
-- China, UNESCO issue proclamation on linguistic diversity protection
China's Ministry of Education and UNESCO on Thursday jointly issued the "Yuelu Proclamation," a document on protection and promotion of the world's linguistic diversity.
Being UNESCO's first permanent document themed on linguistic diversity protection, the proclamation called on the international community to reach consensus, build mechanisms and take measures to protect and promote linguistic diversity.
