Nurturing a spiritual connection

"There was a social upheaval in the country from the latter half of the 17th century to the first half of 18th century," Luo says. "The Qing Dynasty endured the long process of uniting the country, and several Panchen Lamas made great contributions in their roles as religious leaders in maintaining the stability of Tibet and rule of a Qing central government in the region."

Speaking of other items with historical significance, Luo also highlighted the selection of the tooth of an unidentified Panchen Lama for the exhibition. It was worshipped as a holy item in the Forbidden City to reflect the emotional ties between the two seats of power. An ivory Buddha, which was worshipped by the Panchen Lamas, was also donated to the Qing royal court.

Exchanges between the two locations were frequent, as Luo points out. Many precious artifacts were taken from Shigatse to Beijing, and vice versa.

In 1780, the 6th Panchen Lama even led an entourage of 3,000 people to Beijing to celebrate the birthday of Emperor Qianlong (1711-99). The delighted emperor bestowed abundant gifts on the traveling party in thanks. A section of the exhibition is specifically set up to reflect this monumental visit.