A large-scale cultural exploration program National Treasure was recently launched by China's Central Television (CCTV) in Beijing, with curators from nine museums nationwide featured in the launch ceremony.

The TV program, through two years' preparation, will exhibit 27 of the most precious treasures from the nine museums – the Palace Museum, Shanghai Museum, Nanjing Museum, Hunan Provincial Museum, Henan Museum, Shaanxi History Museum, Hubei Provincial Museum, Zhejiang Provincial Museum and Liaoning Provincial Museum – across 27 episodes.

Yu Lei, chief director of the TV program, said the program aimed to make national treasures come "alive".

"It will present the treasures through different artistic methods, and fully interpret the stories and history behind each piece of cultural relic, so that audiences can not only understand how to appreciate the beauty of cultural relic, but also know the civilization it carries and the spiritual core of the Chinese culture sustained over the years," Yu said.

Regarding the selection criteria of the treasures in the program, Shan Jixiang, curator of the Palace Museum said it was difficult to choose as there "should be combinations of historical, artistic, scientific and ornamental values."

Shan added the popularity of the documentary, Masters in Forbidden City, attracted 15,000 college students applying for work at the Palace Museum this year, and he believed the National Treasure would also touch millions of audiences' hearts.

The program will also invite influential public figures as "national treasure guardians" to narrate stories of cultural relics in the episode.

CCTV cultural programs, such as Chinese Poetry Competition and The Reader, have already won much acclaim from audiences and the year 2017 is gradually regarded as a starting year of cultural programs. Back to tradition and the spirit of craftsman have become hot topics in modern society.