Source: CCTV.com

02-25-2009 08:29

The Yuanmingyuan Garden, also known as the Old Summer Palace, in west Beijing has been in ruins since it was pillaged by Anglo-French allied forces during the Second Opium War in 1860. The former imperial garden had a spectacular fountain featuring bronze sculptures of the 12 animals of the Chinese zodiac. All were lost during the plunder. In France, Christie's Auction House is scheduled to sell two of the sculptures -- the bronze rabbit and rat heads.

The former imperial garden had a spectacular fountain featuring bronze sculptures of the 12 animals of the Chinese zodiac. 
The former imperial garden had a spectacular fountain featuring 
bronze sculptures of the 12 animals of the Chinese zodiac. 

UNESCO estimates there are nearly 17 thousand Chinese antiques and relics on display at more than 200 museums in 47 countries. If relics in private collection are included, the number would soar to over 170 thousand. This far exceeds the cultural relics housed in all of China's museums.

China had opposed the Christie's auction. The State Administration of Cultural Heritage calls it unacceptable and has no plans buy back the two cultural relics. Its stance is that the artifacts, which were looted during war, should be returned to their rightful owner -- China.

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In 1995, both China and France signed the Unidroit Convention on Stolen or Illegally Exported Cultural Objects. The convention stipulates that any cultural object looted or lost because of war should be returned.

Five of the 12 Yuanmingyuan statue heads have been retrieved, at a high price. 
Five of the 12 Yuanmingyuan statue heads have been retrieved, at 
a high price. 

Five of the 12 Yuanmingyuan statue heads have been retrieved, at a high price. The state-owned China Poly Group purchased the heads of the ox, monkey and tiger sculptures at auctions for over four million US dollars in 2000. Macao businessman Stanley Ho bought the boar head in 2003 and the horse head in 2007 at a cost of nearly 10 million US dollars. Ho donated the treasures to the Chinese government. The rabbit and rat heads are the only two pieces known to now exist outside China. The whereabouts of the remaining five animals is unknown.

 

Editor:Zhao Yanchen