A special exhibition on Tibetan culture opens Thursday in the National Palace Museum.Many of the items on display this timehave never visited Taiwan before,including 42 pieces rated as national treasure in China.The Potala Palace's 160-centimeter Maitreya Buddha, a first-class Chinese relic, stands on a lotus flower.It originally graced the East Grand Hall of the Potala Palace, which housed the living quarters and offices of the Dalai Lama. 　 　　Meanwhile, this 77-centimeter tall sculpture of an eleven-headed, thousand-armed, thousand-eyed Avalokitesvara belongs to the Norbulingka,which was the summer residence of the Dalai Lama for almost 200 years.The sculpture has an eye set in each of its 998 hands, and each hand is holding a different object.It took the National Palace Museum three years to plan and prepare for its new "Tibet: Treasures from the Roof of the World" exhibit. 　　The most comprehensive Tibetan cultural exhibition in Taiwan's history features 130 relics from between the 5th and 20th centuries, including 42 first-class Chinese relics.One sculpture that many visitors are excited to see is the golden weapon-wielding warrior in charge of scaring away evil. The items, which range from Buddhist sculptures and banners to relics, household items, and sand art,were gathered from 12 important museums and temples, including the Potala Palace, Norbulingka, and the Tibet Museum.