More than 120 works including silk paintings, dragon-embroidered royal robes, gold and jade artefacts from the court of 16th century Qianlong Emperor are on loan from the Palace Museum in Beijing.

"We've been saying to Chinese residents and diaspora that you wouldn't get to see this in Beijing but you could see it Melbourne," said NGV director Tony Ellwood.

"We asked for certain artefacts but didn't expect them to be forthcoming. For example, the imperial robes that are depicted in portraits, plus the jewellery. Even people in China don't get access to some of these, it's considered such a treasure."

Ellwood also pointed out Chinese students and tourists, along with Chinese Australians, are an essential fabric of the multiculturalism in Melbourne.

"So often we would do an exhibition on Europe during the same period, but China was equally as sophisticated. Let's celebrate that."

Asked if the exhibition was designed to be good press for the current Chinese government, Ellwood said politics was not relevant to his role.

"Our core business is cultural exchange. Politics has nothing to do with my role as a gallery director."

A Golden Age of China: Qianlong Emperor is at the National Gallery of Victoria International from March 26 to June 21.