Officials from Taiwan's National Palace Museum (NPM) yesterday helped to oversee the packing by Beijing museum officials of ancient artifacts from mainland China for an upcoming exhibition.

The Palace Museum in Beijing will lend 37 pieces from the Yongzheng Dynasty for display at the NPM; the exhibition is titled “Harmony and Integrity: The Yongzheng Emperor and His Times,” and will run from Oct. 7 to Jan. 10.

The NPM Deputy, Feng Ming-chu (馮明珠) said that the six-month effort to put the show together fostered cooperation between the two museum staffs, according to Xinhua News Agency. Beijing Palace Museum committee Vice-Chairman Li Ji (李季) expressed excitement about the exhibition, which he described as one of the most significant cultural exchanges between mainland China and Taiwan in 60 years, said the news agency. The program will feature 246 objects, including archives, historical books, maps, portraits, paintings, calligraphy, inkstones, porcelains, agate carvings, lacquerware and enamelware.

In addition to 146 pieces from NPM's permanent collection, other participating institutions are also loaning works for display including two from Shanghai Museum, three from Academia Sinica's Institute of History and Philology, and one from a private collection.

A multimedia video project discussing legends and myths about the Yongzheng Emperor will also be on display. Under the agreement between the two museums, the sealing and shipping of all artifacts had to be witnessed on both sides in Beijing yesterday, and the unpacking and displaying ceremony will take place in Taipei on an undisclosed date, according to Xinhua News Agency.