BEIJING, May 24 (Xinhua) -- The Palace Museum, housed in the Forbidden City in Beijing, will be closed to the public every Monday for renovation and maintenance starting in June, the museum announced Thursday.

However, it will be open on public holidays, the museum added.

The former imperial palace had been closed on Monday afternoons since January 2013. The closure was extended to all day Monday from January 2014, except for public holidays and Mondays during July and August, the holiday season for schools.

Based on previous closure policies, the new decision was made to better protect cultural relics, renovate ancient architecture, and to improve exhibitions, according to the museum.

During Monday closure, conservation and maintenance of cultural relics and exhibition facilities, as well as construction of infrastructure will proceed as usual.

In the heart of Beijing, the Forbidden City was home to China's emperors and was the highest center of power for five centuries. It received 16.7 million visitors in 2017.