Calligraphy works and paintings, ceramics, jades, sculptures, gold artifacts, stone carvings, and more lie in cases, silently telling touching stories of the country's lasting cultural lineage.

"The development of the Palace Museum has benefited from the generous assistance of people from all walks of life," Wang Xudong, director of the Palace Museum, says. "Among these donors are state leaders, renowned scholars and collectors, workers, farmers, and people from a variety of professions, as well as overseas Chinese, Chinese compatriots, and international friends, including the Palace Museum staff."

He adds: "Every story behind each donated cultural relic is unique, yet they all embody the donors' heartfelt enthusiasm for preserving Chinese cultural heritage, demonstrating a strong sense of social responsibility and selfless dedication."

A tri-colored (sancai) ceramic horse vividly tells of Tang Dynasty (618-907) prosperity. Presumably made in Chang'an (today's Xi'an, Shaanxi province) or Luoyang (present-day Henan province), two of the Tang's largest metropolises, the statue also ushers visitors to recall the famous line by the great Tang poet Du Fu:

The silver saddle, however, is covered with fragrant silk.