Over 100 artifacts return to China

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02:37

Over 100 artifacts looted from China have arrived home. One of the lost and found treasures is Tiger Ying, a bronze relic believed to have been taken from Beijing's Old Summer Palace in 1860. It had been sold in April at an auction in Canterbury in southern England.

Sun Ji, the senior researcher of the National Museum of China, explained details of Tiger Ying as if enumerating the heirlooms of his own family.

“Tiger Ying itself is a rare and elegant bronze relic. Today, there are only eight such pieces made in the late Western Zhou Dynasty (1046 B.C. – 771 B.C.) are still in existence. It was used in worship rituals. Very precious,” said Sun Ji.

File photo of Tiger Ying on display. /VCG Photo

Tiger Ying used to be in the collections of the royal families in the Qing Dynasty. It passed into the hands of the Royal Marines Captain Harry Lewis Evans, whose photos and letters indicate that the antique was looted from the Old Summer Palace in the 19th Century during the Second Opium War when Anglo-French troops invaded China.

"The family has owned Tiger Ying and many other Chinese antiques since the 19th Century. So far, it's been in his family for four generations," said Yu Chenglong, a researcher from National Museum of China.

The Ying is a water vessel dating back to the Western Zhou Dynasty, some 3,000 years ago. It is particularly special not only because of its tiger-shaped cap and spout but because such ancient practical bronze vessels are rare today. It is thought that only six similar vessels exist. Five of them are kept in museums.

“Many countries have returned Chinese relics, including America and Denmark. So far, over 3,000 pieces are back home. Some were returned by donation, while others came back through diplomatic or business processes. In general, purchasing is not the first option,” said Guan Qiang, Vice Director of National Cultural Heritage Administration.

In recent years, the Chinese government has recovered more than 4,000 looted artifacts through diplomatic and business negotiations, as well as moral and judicial pressure. Still, it's estimated that more than 10 million Chinese cultural relics have been lost overseas via various illegal means.