Prosperous combination of gold and jade

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Visitors explore the displays at the exhibition hall at the Palace of Great Benevolence inside the Palace Museum
A gold wine cup once used by Emperor Qianlong, the sixth emperor of the Qing Dynasty, on the first day of the Chinese New Year. The emperor was a voracious collector who acquired many of China's so-called "great private collections"
A student and his family visit the exhibition during the summer holiday
A Qing jade bowl endowed with delicate gold inscriptions
A jade seal used by Emperor Qianlong after he retired and passed the throne to his son at the age of 84

An exhibition in Beijing displaying over 110 Qing Dynasty (1644-1911) royal gold and jade objects welcomes visitors from August to early November.

Themed on Gold and Jade Artifacts from the Palace Museum, the exposition is set inside the Palace of Great Benevolence, or Jingren Gong. Its assortment of palatial antiques shares glimpses of the rituals and daily life in times long gone, including sacrificial ceremonies, imperial birthday extravaganzas and Chinese New Year celebrations. Jade and gold are both symbols of prosperity in China.

Some of the artifacts on display were made with jade mined from today's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, one of the most important production areas of fine jade in China. The exhibition was displayed at a local museum in Tumxuk City of the region last September.

(Text and Photos by Wei Yao)

Copyedited by Elsbeth van Paridon

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