(Wang Xi/Chinanews.com)

The Palace Museum auctioned off seven pairs of lanterns, which were made according to archives and previous collections, on the evening of April 2. The auction was held at the square outside the Palace of Heavenly Purity (Qianqing gong) and raised a total of 20.05 million yuan (about $2.99 million), Chinanews.com reported on April 3.

All the lanterns were put up for auction with a minimum price tag of 100,000 yuan. A pair of heavenly lanterns (tian deng) sold for 10.6 million yuan while a pair of longevity lanterns (wanshou deng) made 8 million yuan, while the remaining five pairs made a total of 1.45 million yuan.

According to a credible source, all the proceeds of the auction will go towards education and cultural causes in poverty-stricken areas.

The lanterns sold at the auction were important exhibits during this year's Spring Festival at the exhibition “Celebrating the Spring Festival in the Forbidden City” held in the Palace Museum, scheduled to last from Jan. 6 to April 7, 2019, allowing people to enjoy a royal Spring Festival in the Forbidden City.