The National Palace Museum is home to a world-class collection of Chinese art and cultural treasures. These objects come mostly from the private imperial holdings of China's last dynasty, the Ch'ing. Some of the most popular pieces in the collection are crafted from natural materials, such as semi-precious minerals. A couple of questions that people often ask about the relationship between these objects and the Ch'ing court are, "In which palaces were these treasures originally kept?" and "What were the functions of these palaces at the time?" This permanent exhibition not only allows modern audiences an opportunity to appreciate the beauty of these gems of art from the former imperial collections, but it also endeavors to provide a starting point (like a password in time and space) for capturing a glimpse of the cultural background of these objects.

The Ch'ien-ch'ing (Heavenly Purity) Palace was one of three halls in the Inner Court. The "Agate millstone", "White jade branch of elegant lychee", and "Agate finger citron" on display in this gallery originally came from this palace. The fourteen emperors of the Ming dynasty and the Shun-chih and K'ang-hsi Emperors of the Ch'ing dynasty all adopted the Ch'ien-ch'ing Palace as their private quarters, also using it for managing government affairs and meeting court officials. The Ch'ien-lung Emperor once even held a "Banquet for a Thousand Elders" there to symbolize the whole country joining in celebration, indicating that emperor and subjects alike shared in the peace and prosperity of the times.

After the Yung-cheng Emperor's reign, the main private quarters for Ch'ing emperors was the Yang-hsin (Cultivating Mind) Palace, which was surrounded by several buildings, including the Hua-tzu, Yen-hsi, and T'i-shun Halls. This gallery includes a display of items from this palace, including "Gold finial for a court crown inlaid with Eastern pearls", "Court string of Eastern pearls", "Crystal ball", "T'ien-huang stone beast paperweight", "T'ien-huang stone miniature mountain" and the famous "Meat-shaped stone". The San-hsi (Three Rarities) Hall, familiar to many around the world, was also the western suite of the Yang-hsin Palace.

In addition to the private palaces of the emperor, the Yung-shou (Lasting Life) and Yung-ho (Lasting Peace) Palaces were the residences of empresses and consorts. In the early Ch'ing, the Yung-shou Palace was where Consort Tung-o, a favored concubine of the Shun-chih Emperor, once lived. Later, the Yung-cheng Emperor made this into a stopover palace. The "Smoky quartz brush holder", "Hair crystal horse and monkey", and "Crystal God of Longevity" in this exhibit all came from the Yung-shou Palace. One of the most famous occupants of the Yung-ho Palace was the Kuang-hsü Emperor's Consort Chin, and now the famous "Jadeite cabbage" from this building is on display here.

Besides imperial residences, exhibit items in this gallery also include the "Smoky quartz mirror" from the Imperial Household Department and two items from the Shou-huang (Imperial Longevity) Palace--"Jadeite screen insert" and "Lapis lazuli miniature mountain". The Imperial Household Department was a court institution established in the Ch'ing dynasty to serve the imperial family. An enormous organization, it was responsible for a wide range of services, almost like a government in its own right. The superintendents in charge of running the Imperial Household were top officials directly subordinate to the emperor. For this important duty, the emperor personally selected mostly favorites, members of the trusted Eight Banners, or those from the imperial family, indicating just how important this organization was. Finally, the Shou-huang Palace is located at Ching-shan (Scenic Hill) north of the Forbidden City and was used after the Ch'ien-lung Emperor's reign for paying homage to ancestors of the imperial family. Thus, through this exhibit, these incredible gems of craftsmanship now in the National Palace Museum collection begin to assume a richer life when understood within their palatial context.