Treasures travel south

The exhibition, Hall of Mental Cultivation of the Palace Museum: Imperial Residence of Eight Emperors, featuring items ranging from paintings and other art pieces to furniture, runs through Oct 15 at Hong Kong Heritage Museum.[Photo by Parker Zheng/China Daily]

An exhibition of artifacts from the Forbidden City is now on in Hong Kong to mark the 20th anniversary of its return to China. Wang Kaihao reports.

A collection of precious items from the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911) is currently on display in Hong Kong. The items have never left Beijing before, and have been made public only once at the Capital Museum last year.

The artifacts are from the Hall of Mental Cultivation in the Forbidden City, China's imperial palace from 1420 to 1911, now known as the Palace Museum.

The ongoing exhibition, called the Hall of Mental Cultivation of The Palace Museum: Imperial Residence of Eight Emperors, which began on June 29, is presented by the Leisure and Cultural Services Department of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region government and the Palace Museum.

It is one of the key events marking the 20th anniversary of Hong Kong's return to China.

When visitors enter the exhibition at the Hong Kong Heritage Museum, they see a space resembling the Hall of Mental Cultivation.