The Palace Museum in Beijing has confirmed the discovery of relics from the Yuan Dynasty (1271-1368) that were buried underground in the heart of the city for more than 600 years.

The museum, also known as the Forbidden City, said on Thursday that the relics had been found during maintenance work at the historic site.

The Forbidden City was home to China's imperial palace from 1420 in the early Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) until the end of the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911).