Magnificent imperial robes from the(1644-1911) are currently on show at the Victoria and Albert Museum (V&A) in London.

They are part of the treasured collections of the Palace Museum in Beijing.

Imperial robes from the Forbidden City on display at the Victoria and Albert Museum. [Photo/Zhang Chunyan / China Daily]

"Most of them have never left China before. The exhibition gives the British public a rare view of royal robes from China," says Ming Wilson, senior curator of the Asian Department at V&A.

The exhibition Imperial Chinese Robes from the Forbidden City features more than 50 garments, 20 accessories and 15 pieces of fabric worn by Qing emperors and empresses.

Highlights include an intricately woven brown gauze robe with golden dragon roundels dating back to the Kangxi reign (1662-1722) and a wedding gown worn by Yehe Nara Jingen when she married the Emperor Guangxu in 1889.

"Garments are cultural symbols and give shape to our thoughts and creativity. They bring us artistic enjoyment and provide an opportunity to learn more about China," Liu Xiaoming, Chinese ambassador to the United Kingdom, said at the opening of the exhibition on Dec 7.

It will help mutual understanding between China and the UK, Liu says. "Culture is a bridge that reaches into the hearts of people and brings them closer."

"The dynamic cultural exchanges between our two countries are a good example of how mutual learning of cultures leads to common development and prosperity," Liu adds.

According to Wilson, the V&A contacted the Palace Museum in 2008 and the two parties reached an agreement in 2009.

Mark Jones, director of the V&A, says: "We are excited to be able to show these amazing and beautiful imperial robs for the first time at the V&A."

During the Qing Dynasty, garment colors were subject to a strict hierarchy: bright yellow was reserved for the emperor, apricot yellow for his sons, and pale blue for moon festivities.

The dragon motif was also a prerogative of the emperors.

The exhibition is on till Feb 27, 2011. It arrives close on the heels of The Three Emperors and the First Emperor: China's Terracotta Army exhibitions held in London in recent years.