ANDREW Barr says Canberra will play host to a significant Chinese exhibition in early 2016, with the National Library of Australia partnering with the largest library in China, the National Library of China.

“As part of a trade mission to Beijing, I had the great pleasure to visit the National Library of China and following that meeting I can announce the National Library of Australia (NLA) will present Chinese treasures in “Qing: Life in China, 1644 – 1911″, examining nearly 300 years of Chinese life, culture and tradition that provided the foundations of modern China,” Andrew said.

“The exhibition, a one-off event exclusive to Canberra, will run in the first half of 2016, with the NLA receiving promotional support from the ACT Government. The exhibition’s value to Canberra’s broader tourism industry will also no doubt be immense, as a catalyst to attract interstate and international visitors, making a significant contribution to the ACT economy.

“The exhibition takes pieces from the fifth-largest library collection in the world, and includes architectural drawings produced for the Imperial Court for iconic locations such as the Forbidden City and the Summer Palace, ancient manuscripts, and rare books and illustrated maps, most of which will be new to Australian audiences.

“Qing: Life in China, 1644 – 1911 will play an important role in expanding Canberra’s cultural ties with China, and specifically with Beijing, which has been Canberra’s sister city for 15 years.

“The exhibition follows the highly successful partnerships between the ACT Government and the NLA that brought the Mapping our World and Handwritten exhibitions to Canberra. Fifty percent of visitors to each of these exhibitions were from interstate, and from a combined ACT Government investment of $400,000 towards these blockbuster exhibitions, they contributed $38.1 million in economic return to the Territory,” Andrew said.

NLA Director-General Anne-Marie Schwirtlich joined Andrew in Beijing to finalise discussions with their Chinese partners.

“The exhibition provides an insight into the diversity of life in China during the last imperial dynasty. From the Dowager Empress to the humble market seller, the exhibition examines nearly 300 year of Chinese life, culture and tradition, creating a way for all Australians to better understand this extraordinary culture,” Anne-Marie said.

“This is the first time the National Library of Australia and the National Library of China have collaborated on an exhibition of such breadth and depth. Visitors will see works on Chinese opera, art, calligraphy, religion, astronomy, government, Anglo-Chinese relations, travel and popular fiction.

“More significantly, visitors will experience China as it entered the modern age, with all the diversity of lived experience and cultural attainment brought vividly to life.

“We are indebted to the National Library of China. Through its generosity, the Australian public will, for the first time, be able to view some of the treasures of Chinese cultural and literary heritage.”