A shared celebration of cultures

For the first time, portraits and belongings of three emperors of the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911) — namely Kangxi, Yongzheng and Qianlong — and three contemporaneous French kings — Louis XIV, Louis XV and Louis XVI — will be on show at one exhibition in Beijing.

Entitled The Palace of Versailles and the Forbidden City, the exhibition will be unveiled at the Palace Museum, also known as the Forbidden City, from April 1.

More than 180 exhibits collected by the two museums will provide a glimpse of the interactions between the Chinese and French royal courts from the end of the 17th century to the end of the 18th century.

They will showcase their diplomatic, cultural and artistic exchanges, as well as their mutual trust and respect in political activities, and shared interest in and admiration of each other's cultures, according to Guo Fuxiang, deputy director of the Department of Court History at the Palace Museum and the curator for the exhibition on the Chinese side.

This year marks the 60th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties between China and France, and the exhibition will be part of the celebration.