Exhibition: The Forbidden City and the Palace of Versailles
The year 2024 was the China-France Year of Culture and Tourism, also marking the 60th anniversary of the establishment of China-France diplomatic ties. From April 1 to June 30, The Forbidden City and the Palace of Versailles: Exchanges Between China and France in the 17th and 18th Centuries was held at the Hall of Literary Glory in the Palace Museum . The exhibition was jointly hosted by the Palace Museum and the Palace of Versailles.
The exhibition features 200-plus pieces of relics from a number of institutions including the Palace Museum and the Palace of Versailles and consists of three sections: Encounter of the Dragon and the Fleur-de-lis, The French Landscape in the Forbidden City, and Chinese Vogue at Versailles. It vividly showcased the interactions and exchanges between China and France in the 17th and 18th centuries.
Emperor Kangxi and King Louis XIV of France showed strong interest in each other's country. In 1688, King Louis XIV dispatched some mathematicians to Beijing, who were received by Emperor Kangxi. Among them, Joachim Bouvet and Jean-Francois Gerbillon stayed to serve the Qing royal court. Across the following century, the two countries conducted extensive exchanges in areas like politics, economics, science and technology, culture, and arts.
The Forbidden City and the Palace of Versailles both bore witness to historical events of exchanges between China and France while acting as symbols of their respective cultures. In contemporary times, they are continuing efforts to foster exchanges and mutual learning between the two countries.
The Palace of Versailles and the Palace Museum have cooperated to hold an exhibition on Emperor Kangxi and an exhibition on King Louis XIV consecutively. The exhibition The Forbidden City and the Palace of Versailles marked a new starting point for exchanges and cooperation between the Palace Museum and French cultural institutions.
“紫禁城与凡尔赛宫”展览
2024年是中法建交60周年暨中法文化旅游年。2024年4月1日至6月30日，由故宫博物院和凡尔赛宫殿、博物馆及国家园林公共机构（凡尔赛宫）联合主办的“紫禁城与凡尔赛宫——17、18世纪的中法交往”展览，在故宫博物院文华殿展厅对公众开放。
该展览精选故宫博物院、凡尔赛宫等多家机构200余件藏品，通过“龙与百合花的相遇”“紫禁城中的法国风景”“凡尔赛宫的中国时尚”三个单元，生动描绘17、18世纪中法交往的盛况。1688年，法国国王路易十四和中国康熙皇帝彼此之间充满浓厚兴趣，因此，五位“国王数学家”到北京，得到康熙皇帝接见，其中白晋（Joachim Bouvet）和张诚（Jean-Francois Gerbillon）留在宫廷。此后百余年，两国在政治、经济、科技、文化、艺术等领域展开全方位交流。
紫禁城和凡尔赛宫，是历史上中法交往的见证地，也是各自国家文化的象征符号，在当代延续着交流互鉴的故事。凡尔赛宫和故宫博物院先后合作举办过康熙大帝展、太阳王路易十四展。此次展览开幕也是故宫博物院与法国文化机构交流合作的新开端。
