Exhibition featuring live goldfish opens in Forbidden City

An exhibition showcasing live goldfish and goldfish-themed cultural relics kicks off in the Forbidden City Tuesday.

An exhibition showcasing live goldfish and goldfish-themed cultural relics kicks off in the Forbidden City on Tuesday, Beijing, China, July 30, 2019. [Photo: VCG]

Nearly 200 goldfish of 42 species from Beijing, Shanghai, Tianjin, Wuhan and other places will be introduced to audiences, many of which are of rare species.

Thirty-four goldfish-themed cultural relics from the Palace Museum's collection are on display with live goldfish, in order to let audiences appreciate the beautiful creatures while learning about its culture.

An exhibition showcasing live goldfish and goldfish-themed cultural relics kicks off in the Forbidden City on Tuesday, Beijing, China, July 30, 2019. [Photo: VCG]

"Jinyu," the Chinese term for "goldfish," is a homonym of the term "gold and jade" in Chinese, which makes goldfish a favourite theme in Chinese art to convey people's aspiration for a better life.

The Forbidden City has a long history with goldfish, with a total of 279 species of goldfish kept inside at its peak.

The live goldfish section of the exhibition will run until Aug. 11, while the cultural relics section will last until Aug. 30. Visitors with tickets to the Palace Museum can enjoy the exhibition free of charge.