of Chinese cultural relics returned by French private collectors, at Gansu Provincial
Museum in Lanzhou, capital of northwest China's Gansu Province
[Credit: Xinhua/Fan Peishen]
Li Xiaojie, head of the State Administration of Cultural Heritage, presented a gold ornament to Liu Weiping, Gansu provincial governor, at a hand-over ceremony on Monday morning, marking the relics' return.
private collectors, at Gansu Provincial Museum in Lanzhou, capital of northwest
China's Gansu Province, July 20, 2015 [Credit: Xinhua/Fan Peishen]
It was the first time cultural relics have been successfully returned to China following bilateral negotiations between the Chinese and French governments. They were returned by French private collectors Francois Pinault and Christian Deydier earlier this year.
private collectors, at Gansu Provincial Museum in Lanzhou, capital of northwest
China's Gansu Province, July 20, 2015 [Credit: Xinhua/Fan Peishen]
The 32 gold items came from tombs in Dabuzishan in Lixian County, Gansu Province dating back to the Spring and Autumn period (770 BC-476 BC). The tombs were badly looted during the 1990s and a large number of relics, including the gold ornaments, were smuggled abroad.
private collectors, at Gansu Provincial Museum in Lanzhou, capital of northwest
China's Gansu Province, July 20, 2015 [Credit: Xinhua/Fan Peishen]
A public exhibition of the relics also opened on Monday and will last until Oct. 31. After that, they will be permanently displayed at the Gansu Provincial Museum.
Source: Xinhua [July 20, 2015]