A storehouse of the Forbidden City was renovated into a cafe. [Photo/Xinhua]

An 18th-century storehouse in the Forbidden City, which is also known as Palace Museum, was renovated into a cafe and opened to the public on Sept 29.

The storehouse, 1.5 meters below ground level, was built for royal families to store ice. The new cafe is planning to expand its business as a restaurant.

The area is part of a new route open to visitors in the western wing of the museum. The route connects Duanhong Bridge and Palace of Compassion and Tranquility (Cining Gong). The new route is to ease overwhelmingly crowds around the central axis of the museum. It is estimated that one third of its 15 million annual visitors will visit the area in the future.

The Forbidden City is China's imperial palace from 1420 to 1911.