Six precious "Dragon Robes" owned by Emperor Qianlong went on display in the Harbin Guanfu International Reception Center on Nov 9. The display will last two weeks. To protect the robes from exposure to sunlight, the center will only receive 30 groups of visitors a day on weekdays.

Emperor Qianlong (Chien-lung Emperor) was the sixth emperor of the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911). He reigned officially from 1735 to 1796, the longest term in Chinese history. The six Qianlong robes on display are private collections of the Guanfu Group acquired in an overseas Christie’s auction in 2010.

The six robes consist of several colors, including bright yellow, blue, red and white. The buttons, materials, patterns and details can be described as “perfect.” The embroidery and Gesi, which is a method that weaves gold threads into fine silk, were generally employed in the production of imperial clothes.  The Gesi process is very difficult and complicated. A common saying goes: "Every inch of Gesi is worth of an inch of gold." Such delicate robes usually take at least 2-3 years to produce.

Many collectors and historical enthusiasts welcomed the news and rushed to the center to see the robes.