THE Forbidden City Treasures Museum recently succeeded in using high-tech measures to imitate 50 ancient masterpieces in an effort to preserve the country’s national treasures. In ancient China, paintings and handwritings were preserved by making a new copy every generation. Later watercolor block printing was invented. Still, reproducing ancient artworks remained a difficult and time-consuming job. Low-quantity reproductions were only part of the problem. The most difficult part was to preserve the original spirit in an reproduced work. This time the museum adopted high-tech measures to solve the problem by imitating the vivid patterns on Xuan paper and silk. Works reproduced by the Forbidden City Treasures Musuem include the earliest extant Chinese landscape Spring Tour by Zhan Ziqian of the Sui Dynasty, The Royal Carriage by Yan Liben of the Tang Dynasty, and Portraits of Peony and Pheasant by Zhao Ji of the Song Dynasty.