Program overview
Cultural relic conservation and restoration is essentially about diagnosing and treating artifacts. You'll learn how to analyze materials and causes of deterioration, then apply chemistry, physics, art history, and traditional craftsmanship to restore broken pottery, faded murals, and brittle paper. Core courses include artifact material analysis, restoration techniques, museology, Chinese painting mounting, and bronze restoration. China has a unique advantage in this field due to its millennia of cultural treasures—think Dunhuang murals, the Terracotta Warriors, and the Palace Museum collections—and many university instructors are frontline restoration experts. This major suits students who are hands-on, patient, and passionate about history and art. If you enjoy meticulous manual work and are willing to delve into the past and present of an artifact, this is the perfect fit.