Ancient Zidanku Silk Manuscripts return to China through Sino-US cooperation

Two volumes of the Zidanku Silk Manuscripts from the Warring States Period (475-221 BC) titled "Wuxing Ling" and "Gongshou Zhan," have been permanently archived at the Hunan Museum in central China.

Discovered in 1942 in a Chu tomb at the Zidanku site in Changsha, the manuscripts were illegally taken to the United States in 1946. After 79 years abroad, they were returned to China through close Sino-US cooperation on cultural property restitution.

Earlier this year, the Smithsonian's National Museum of Asian Art officially handed over the two volumes to China's National Cultural Heritage Administration, and they arrived in Beijing on May 18.

Chase Robinson, Director of the National Museum of Asian Art, said the transfer followed several months of thoughtful discussion and continues the century-long partnership between the museum and Chinese cultural institutions.

As the earliest surviving Chinese silk texts, the scripts are important artifacts of historical, artistic and academic value. These manuscripts have now found their permanent home at the Hunan Museum, enabling both preservation and scholarly research.