Even shoes were designed in the shape of goldfish, and fish tails were also skillfully incorporated into belts for clothing.

"Using the goldfish as medium, these artisans managed to showcase their extraordinary skills and wisdom," Da says.

The ongoing exhibition is the second attempt by the Palace Museum to combine living creatures with related cultural relics in the same exhibition. In 2017, a "miniature zoo" was temporarily set up in the museum for an exhibition on sika deer.

The latest exhibition also serves to realize a dream which did not come true for the Qing rulers. In March, the Palace Museum received a 100-million yuan ($14.44 million) donation from Ng Teng Fong Charitable Foundation in Hong Kong to renovate the Yanxi Gong and complete the construction of the Lingzhao Veranda.

In the not too distant future, people will be able to watch the goldfish there again. Perhaps the fish will help turn it into a "pond with souls", just as its name, Lingzhao, suggests.