Opening in 1793, the Louvre is the national museum and gallery of France, and the most-visited art museum in the world. The Louvre presents approximately 33,000 works of art to the public in its 70,000 square meters of exhibition space. Among the most celebrated masterpieces are the Mona Lisa by Leonardo da Vinci, the Winged Victory of Samothrace, and the Venus de Milo.

The Islamic department at the Louvre has a vast collection of more than 20,000 artifacts, Henon says. "We haven't had such a large-scale collaborative exhibition since the opening of the Islamic department at the Louvre in 2012."

The Louvre was able to loan these treasured pieces to Shanghai because the Islamic department is under refurbishment. "We have selected the most precious and beautiful artifacts from this period for this exhibition," she says during a preview on Dec 4. "We hope Chinese audiences will make some new discoveries at the exhibition, and see the influence of Chinese culture on the world, including the Islamic world."