Modern Social Science Research

The International Council of Museums (ICOM) explicitly designates education as the primary function of museums, emphasizing its moral orientation. Taking the Palace Museum as a case study, this paper explores the moral education functions embedded in its architecture, jade artifacts, and ceramics. The architectural layout manifests the wisdom of "harmony in diversity" (he er bu tong), jade objects materialize the Confucian ideal of the "gentleman" (junzi) and virtuous governance, while ceramic artifacts facilitate the quotidian internalization of moral norms. The study reveals that Chinese civilization has historically employed "objects as vehicles of moral principles" (wu yi zai dao), casting ethical imperatives into material culture. As a tangible carrier of moral cultivation (lide), the Palace Museum holds significant value for constructing a global community of shared future.

Palace Museum; Moral education; Material culture embodying moral principles; Harmony in diversity; Community with a shared future