A visitor is looking at a picture at the exhibition "Marine Life in the Forbidden City" which opened on Friday in the southern Chinese city of Shenzhen. (Xinhua/Wang Xiaodan)

An exhibition named "Marine Life in the Forbidden City" opened on Friday in the southern Chinese city of Shenzhen.

The exhibits are based on the Beijing Palace Museum's collected antique -- the "HAI CUO TU", a Qing dynasty (1644-1911) picture catalog containing more than 300 species of sea animals created by painter Nie Huang.

Covering an area of 1,400 square meters, the exhibition is composed of more than 30 exhibits including animations, interactive games and immersive photo-taking venues.

In front of the interactive wall, Yan Wenxiang, wearing a headset, listens to the story of why the flatfish's eyes are on the same side. "In textbooks, all the sea creatures are flat. But here, they are 3D and feel alive," said the 10-year-old.

Held at the Shenzhen Sea World Culture and Arts Center, the exhibition is jointly sponsored by the Beijing Palace Museum and China Merchants Cultural Industry (Shenzhen) Co., Ltd. of China Merchants Group (CMG).

"The exhibition not only applies multi-media digital technology but also employs well-known museum curators and bio-scientists to ensure a better experience for visitors," said Yan Hongbin, vice curator of the Palace Museum.

"In the future, we will explore other ancient picture books collected by the Palace Museum to bring more quality cultural products to the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area," Yan said.

The exhibition will last until October 8.