In celebration of the 60-year diplomatic bond between China and France and the China-France Year of Culture and Tourism, the Palace Museum in Beijing is hosting an exhibition showcasing over 200 cultural relics.
The artifacts include scientific instruments, clocks, enamelware, porcelain, paintings and books collected by museums in both China and France. The museum, also known as the Forbidden City, housed China's imperial palace from the 15th century to the early 20th century.
Titled The Forbidden City and the Palace of Versailles: Exchanges Between China and France in the 17th and 18th Centuries, the exhibition showcases the admiration of the French nobility for Chinese artworks and the mutual influence between the two cultures.
According to the Palace Museum, the late 17th to 18th century marked a golden era of cultural exchange and interaction between the Chinese and French courts. During this period, the French royal court was captivated and intrigued by Chinese culture.
The exhibition also marks the opening of the 18th edition of the Festival Croisements, an annual cultural event organized by the French Institute in China.
(Photos by Xu Bei)
