An array of ancient Chinese cultural relics -- national treasures insured at US$58 million -- presently stored in the Beijing-based Poly Art Museum will be displayed in Taipei from December 22 to March 21.

The Poly museum held a signing ceremony on Saturday with Taiwan-based China Television Company Ltd and Taiwan Jingwei Group, the Taiwanese sponsors of the exhibition.

Poly began the packaging of the cultural relics immediately after the signing ceremony.

Within a week, the national treasures will be transferred to Taipei by air in two batches in an attempt to avoid any possible damage.

Exhibits include 35 stone sculptures of Buddha and Bodhisattva from the fifth century to the eighth century, 80 pieces or sets of bronze wares from the Shang Dynasty (BC 16th century-BC 11th century) to the Tang Dynasty (618-907) and five pieces or sets of the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911) artifacts.

Among the 120 relics, the most eye-catching ones are the bronze heads of an ox, monkey and tiger from Yuanmingyuan (Old Summer Palace), which were looted from China 140 years ago by British and French soldiers, and returned to Beijing after the China Poly Group won the bid in an auction held in Hong Kong this spring.

According to the Poly, the Taiwan exhibition sponsors are most interested in these three precious Qing artifacts.

"The auction of the three bronze heads and their return to Beijing aroused intense emotions in Taiwan, as well as in the Chinese mainland and Hong Kong," said He Ping, curator of Poly.

He said the debut of the bronze heads in Taipei will meet the desire of Taiwan people to see the artifacts and make them familiar with the humiliating history of the Chinese nation.

Other exhibits going to Taiwan are also quite precious. For example, the stone Buddhism sculptures of the Northern Dynasty (386-581) and white marble Tang sculptures are remarkable.

(Xinhua News Agency November 19, 2001)