In a demonstration of goodwill, collaboration between the Palace Museum in Beijing and the National Palace Museum in Taipei looks to send several Qing Dynasty artworks to Taiwan for a three-month exhibit.
The artwork from Beijing will consist mainly of portraits and seals of Emperor Yongzheng and, while not considered some of the finest Chinese art, is said to be of immense historical importance.
Set to open this October, the Qing Dynasty exhibit will feature 180 pieces from the National Palace Museum’s own collection and also expects to include 29 pieces on loan from Beijing’s Palace Museum.
Taiwan’s collection of imperial era art has long been a topic of intense debate with Mainland China. When Chiang Kai-shek and the Kuomintang fled to Taiwan in 1949 after their defeat at the hands of the Chinese Communist Party, they took with them some 3,000 crates filled with artwork of extreme value. Many Chinese demand that the compilation of imperial works be returned to the mainland, while Taiwan insists that they are the rightful owners of the rare collection.