The National Palace Museum says it did not try to hide damage reports regarding several valuable artifacts. That statement came on Friday after lawmaker Chen I-shin (陳以信) accused the museum staff of breaking the delicate artifacts and covering up the accidents.
The museum has admitted that three artifacts were damaged, but denies that it tried to hide the incidents. The three damaged pieces include two teacups that were damaged in storage and a plate that broke due to mishandling.
Chen says Museum Director Wu Mi-cha (吳密察) ordered museum workers to not mention the incidents and handle all relevant paperwork as highly classified documents.
The museum says that the staff properly handled all the classified documents related to the damages. It adds that the staff followed the correct procedures for dealing with the incidents and Director Wu immediately ordered an investigation when he received the reports.
The museum is preparing to repair all three artifacts. This is the first time the Palace Museum has reported breaking national treasures.