Qing Dynasty Stories: Tales of China's last dynasty rule small screen and intrigue audiences

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The stories of Chinese royal families have leaped from the pages of history and into television screens. Period dramas focused on the Qing Dynasty are shattering online viewership records, adding to the interest into lives of the empresses of China's Forbidden City. Now some imperial treasures of that era are on display in the United States. Elaine Reyes has the story.

Chinese royalty reigning supreme. Slightly more than 100-years after the fall of the Qing Dynasty, tales of the women of Emperor Qianlong's court have sparked palace intrigue. But this time the royals are ruling the small screen.

Summer online and TV sensations "The Story of Yanxi Palace" and "Ruyi's Royal Love in the Palace" have set record viewership numbers since their debuts and overwhelmed Chinese social media with hundreds of hash-tags and discussions dedicated to the costume dramas.

Palace intrigue has spread beyond the Chinese mainland introducing the imperial epics to fans in more than 70 global markets with many foreign audiences searching for versions with English subtitles.

Attention to detail went into getting things right even turning to historical documents and antiques housed in Beijing's Palace Museum to design everything from the royal robes to the stunning sets.

Now some of those same "inspiring" items are on display in the US, offering visitors a rare glimpse into palace life from the perspective of the women of the Qing Dynasty.

DAISY YIYOU WANG CO-CURATOR, "THE EMPRESSES OF CHINA'S FORBIDDEN CITY" 'We are very, very lucky because right now in China there is a hugely popular TV drama called 'Stories of the Yanxi Palace' that really captured people's imagination so that gives you an idea that even in China people are interested in women's life inside the palace."

Nearly 200 objects - portraits, jewelry, garments and sculptures - detailing the lives of the women that helped define China's last dynasty.

XIN WAN FAN OF CHINESE PERIOD DRAMAS "Because we live in Boston, and we heard of they would have an exhibition here in this museum. And we just thought 'Ok, if they have a Qianlong exhibition then we come to see it.' In America, it's a rare to experience for us."

Many of these items from the Palace Museum are on public display for the first time outside the walls of the Forbidden City.

And like any good drama, the exhibit features three intriguing figures Empress. Dowager Chongqing - the highly regarded mother of Emperor Qianlong. Empress Xiaoxian - considered the childhood soulmate of Qianlong.

DAISY YIYOU WANG CO-CURATOR, 'THE EMPRESSES OF CHINA'S FORBIDDEN CITY' "This is one of my favorite objects in this entire exhibition."

This dramatic interactive exhibit showcases poems written by the emperor as he mourned the death of Empress Xiaoxian. And the third heroine featured in this exhibition, Empress Dowager Cixi - the woman who rose from the ordinary to become a formidable figure in China.

YIQIAN SUAY FAN OF CHINESE PERIOD DRAMAS "I'm not a big fan of history but because of those two trending TV series, I'm kind of like think it's a really good chance for me to learn about stuff."

Elaine Reyes, CGTN.