Italy return 796 cultural relics back to China
It seems
that China and Italy, two countries with the largest number of world heritage
sites, are constantly holding cultural exchange activities.
Witnessed
by visiting Chinese President Xi Jinping and Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe
Conte, the Ministry of Cultural Heritage and Activities of Italy and the
Minister of Culture and Tourism of China have signed an agreement on March 23
in Rome that will see 796 sets of lost Chinese cultural relics and artworks
return to China.
The
repatriation, which is the largest number of cultural relics to be returned to
China over the past two decades, shows the cultural communication, cooperation
and mutually beneficial relationship between the two distant countries,
according to China’s National Cultural Heritage Administration (NCHA).
“Today
is a grand festival, 796 sets of Chinese cultural relics will be returned to
Chinese people, said Alberto Bonisoli, the minister of Italy’s Ministry of
Cultural Heritage and Activities, reported the Xinhua News Agency.
After
the announcement of the agreement with Italy hit Sina Weibo, it quickly became
a hot topic of discussion, with more than 47,000 likes and 4,800 reposts.
“Thanks
a lot! I’ll eat pasta as much as I can,” said netizen Komabeauty. “Italy will
be my first destination when traveling abroad,” said another.
“Welcome
home! It is essential to have a strong nation to protect our cultural
relics,"” commented netizen Point-point.
“It’s
really an emotional time, I think I am about to cry,” posted netizen Kalliope.
National treasures
Many of
the relics found in Italy were originally unearthed from Northwest China’s
Shaanxi Province, North China’s Shanxi Province, Central China’s Henan Province
and East China’s Jiangsu Province and spans a period of time covering the
Neolithic age through to the Republic of China (1912-49) period, said the NCHA.
These
relics are of high historical, archaeological, cultural and aesthetical values.
Among
the relics are a diverse range of Neolithic colored pottery, which can provide
a direct window into the pottery making techniques in Northwest China thousands
of years ago. Terracotta figures from the Han (206BC-AD220), Tang (618-907) and
Ming (1368-1644) dynasties are also valuable resources for researching people’s
material and spiritual lives in ancient China.
Outstanding
relics include a stylish red clay pottery pot that dates back to the Neolithic
Majiayao Culture, a sleek cocoon pot from the Han Dynasty; Tang Dynasty
terracotta warriors, Song Dynasty black glazed porcelain and an elegant Qing
Dynasty purple sand pot.
Road to home
The
relics’ journey home has not been easy.
According
to the NCHA, the relics first came back to light in 2007, when Italian
authorities seized a large number of Chinese cultural relics and artworks
suspected of being illegally trafficked. Learning of the discovery, the NCHA
immediately contacted its Italian counterpart to begin the work to bring the
relics home.
After
more than 10 years of endeavor, the Italian courts ruled that the relics should
be returned to China.
Along
with the announcement that the US would be returning 361 Chinese relics earlier
this month and the return of a looted “Tiger Ying” bronze vessel in December
2018, China has made remarkable progress in bringing its lost cultural relics
home.
Source:Global Times
Italy return 796 cultural relics back to China
Reviewed by PEOPLES MAIL
on
13:31
Rating:
No comments: