As an important project that aims to promote the national relics of China, the Palace Museum is preparing for a large-scale exhibition to rebuild a Forbidden City at the heart of France's art scene, the Louvre Museum in Paris. After a few months' planning, now the relics are packed up and ready for shipment.

Several collections from the Forbidden City will be on exhibit for the first time ever at the Louvre. Starting from the end of September, visitors will be able to catch up with the cultural relics from the imperial lives of Ming and Qing Dynasty, a period that dates back 600 years.

About 130 sets of artifacts include weaponry, clothing, bronzes, jade wares, lacquerware, enamels and ceramics, all of which offer art lovers a chance to peer back into the lives of ancient emperors.

Lv Chenglong, researcher of The Palace Musuem, Beijing, said, "155 ancient relics will be sent to France this time. 22 of them are first-class national treasures, and many of the portraits and thrones have never left China. This exhibition will examine the parallel history of the palace as the emperors' home and as a museum."

While some of Louvre Museum's galleries will be modified to accommodate the Chinese collection, authorities say they are dividing the layout of the exhibition into four sections: politics, arts, architecture, and home life. The shipping specialists took extra care with the fragile pieces, using waterproof and shockproof materials to avoid damage during transport.

Pan Jianhai, shipping manager of The Palace Museum, Beijing, said, "The item will be put in a hard case, and we will fill the gaps with shockproof materials in the case, so that the item will be kept stable inside. All these cases will be put into another larger case. It's double safety."

The whole collection will be sent to France in three separate shipments before September. The exhibition "Forbidden City at the Louvre" will be open from September 29th through January 9th, 2012.

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