Founded in 1420, the Forbidden City in Beijing had served as the center of Chinese royal power for five centuries. Following the collapse of the Qing Dynasty in 1911, the imperial complex had been turned into the Palace Museum in 1925. In recognition of the role it has played, The 178-acre (72-hectare) compound with its breathtaking architecture was designated a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1987.
A key person who helped turn the Forbidden City into the Palace Museum was Mr. Wu Ying, father of Wu Shan, Wu Zuguang and Wu Zuqiang, all famous cultural figures in China. To learn about Mr. Wu Ying and his role in helping found the Palace Museum, the Renwen Society presents a lecture on the subject by Prof. Wu Shizhou, an author and specialist on the Palace Museum on April 8, 2023. Prof. Wu will relate in detail historical facts of the evolution of the palace into a museum and the contribution by Mr. Wu Ying to the process.
故宫博物院很快将迎来创建100周年诞辰。参与创建故宫博物院的人物中的重要且特殊成员之一是吴瀛先生（中国文化名人吴珊、吴祖光和吴祖强的父亲）。华美人文学会于2023年美东时间4月8日晚8时至9时半（北京时间4月9日上午8时至9时半）特邀文史专家吴十洲教授做专题讲座，讲述吴先生与故宫博物院的故事。讲座内容涉及如下三个方面：
一、武昌起义实际并没有完成辛亥革命，南北合议定立了《清室优待条件》，这个文件的执行机构是内务部，其中吴瀛参与了1914年设立于故宫武英殿古物陈列所的初创工作。1924年11月5日冯玉祥驱逐溥仪出宫，吴瀛因舅父庄蕴宽和同学易培基的关系，参与了清室善后委员会和1925年故宫博物院的建立。这在当时是绝无仅有的。一直到抗战胜利，古物陈列所与故宫博物院仍是两个不同的机构。唯有吴瀛可从中协调，人称“吴大拿”。
二、1928年以后，吴瀛先生著书《故宫博物院前后五年经过记》，这本著作对从皇宫演变成博物馆的史实与其中艰辛历程进行了总结和详细陈述。
三、1933年故宫博物院突发易培基院长的“故宫盗宝案”，这一事件从大的方面讲有国共两党及蒋汪两个集团斗争的背景；从具体情况来讲，是遭内部同人的陷害。吴瀛先生仗义直言，尤其是1949年后多次上书申张正义，终辑成《故宫盗宝案真相》一书。
With a Ph.D. in history from Nankai University, the speaker Wu Shizhou is a professor at the Graduate School of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences. He also advises the Museum of Chinese History and China Agricultural Museum. Prof. Wu is a guest fellow at Nihon University and Chuo University, both of Japan. His publication includes The Dawn of the Forbidden City, One Day in the Life of Emperor Qianlong, Drought and Rain Praying in in the 18th Century China among others.
主讲人吴十洲（本名吴卫国），中国社会科学院研究生院教授。南开大学历史博士。中国历史博物馆馆员、中国农业博物馆馆员，以及中国社会科学院研究生院文物和博物馆硕士学位教育中心前主任。日本大学客座研究员，日本中央大学人文研究所客座研究员、国际日本研究中心共同研究员。著有《紫禁城黎明》、《乾隆一日》、《帝国之雩：18世纪中国干旱和祈雨》、《归去来兮：那些文化名人去台湾》等专著。
