Wartime collection

As Sweden was a neutral country in the war, the warehouses were not bombed in Japanese air raids.

Nevertheless, after bombing of Chongqing escalated in 1939, the artifacts were removed to Leshan, Sichuan province.

"Anderson Firm had finished its historical mission, but Chongqing people's emotion toward cultural relics of the Palace Museum remains deeply rooted," Xing says.

The newly opened memorial hall in Chongqing is a cultural institution where local residents pay tribute to the relocation project of the artifacts during wartime.

The history of the project is elaborated in its gallery via displays as is the history of Chongqing since 1890, when the port city was first opened up for foreign trade. Anderson Firm was one of the earliest Western companies there.

After the war ended, all relocated relics were moved to Chongqing again before setting off on their journey home. Over 8,300 boxes later returned to the Forbidden City. About 2,200 boxes stayed in Nanjing, now part of a collection in Nanjing Museum, and the rest were taken to Taipei and remain there.