China played an extremely important role for Sweden in the 18th century in a number of areas. Large quantities of objects were brought to the country through the East India Company. China was portrayed as a happy ideal country that inspired dreams, life patterns, furnishings and material culture among the upper classes. Contacts with China also had a scientific side. Carl Linnaeus sent his disciples out into the world, and in the 1750s Pehr Osbeck traveled to China to bring plants back to Uppsala. These contacts between academic Uppsala and China have left many physical traces in Uppsala University. In addition to collections of natural history and other scientific material, there is a large number of objects and images from China that shed light on the specific material culture that developed from the contacts between the Nordic countries and faraway Asia. A new exhibition at the Gustavianum, based on new research, aims to provide a deeper understanding of Swedish-Chinese contacts in the 18th century. A unique suite of 18th-century Chinese paintings in the possession of Linnaeus, which are now the subject of international research, occupies a central place in the exhibition. The exhibition will appeal to all senses and provide a historical perspective on today's close relations with China. The exhibition will be based on a scientific foundation and on the latest academic research in the field. This application is for a contribution towards part of the production costs of this exhibition.