Two of the most ancient and spectacular palaces in the world have tied up for a joint presentation: The treasures of the tsars from the Kremlin went on display yesterday atop a rostrum of former Chinese emperors' palatial complex the Forbidden City.

The exhibition, titled "Treasures from the Kremlin," will run until January 8 next year at the new exhibition area on top of the Meridian Gate, the southern entrance to the Forbidden City.

It features 200 fine, decorative and applied arts from Russia between the 16th and the early 20th century, which are "among the most important collections of the Kremlin," said Irina Bobrovnitskaya of the Kremlin Museum.

"These priceless historical and artistic treasures used to be the most valued possessions of the tsars and their family members," she told China Daily.

"They provide a palpable link to Russia's resplendent past."

They include ancient books from the royal library, the brass armour of Peter the Great and fine specimens of gold jewellery all testimony to the opulent life of Russia's tsars and tsarinas during the period before the founding of St Petersburg in 1703.

The exhibition also has a section devoted to the development of the Orthodox Church in Russia.

Moscow has been the seat of the Russian Orthodox Church since the middle of the 14th century, and the church used to have a love-hate relationship with the Kremlin.

The Russian cultural relics have been given "the best space for exhibition among the Forbidden City's legendary 9999.5 rooms," said Ma Jige, director of the exhibition department of the Palace Museum, the administrative organ of the Forbidden City.

The hall on the top of the Meridian Gate, which was refurbished last year, will host the British and Spanish royal collections next year and art from the Louvre Museum in 2008.

Editor: Lency