In the predawn hours of Sunday, a commercial flight from Washington DC touched down in Beijing carrying a collection of ancient Chinese silk manuscript fragments, including the Zidanku Silk Manuscripts, dating back to the Warring States period (475-221 BCE). This marked the end of nearly 80 years of the manuscripts' absence from their homeland.
The silk manuscript fragments were returned by the Smithsonian's National Museum of Asian Art on Friday during a handover ceremony at the Chinese embassy in Washington DC. Xie Feng, the Chinese Ambassador to the United States, called the return a "cultural milestone" and "proof" of China-US cooperation in heritage preservation, bringing new vitality to exchanges and friendship.
"The successful return of the volumes demonstrates that through dialogue and cooperation based on equality, mutual respect, and benefit, the two countries can achieve important and tangible results," Xie emphasized during the ceremony.
The manuscripts, known as Wuxing Ling (Volume II) and Gongshou Zhan (Volume III), are the second and third volumes of the Zidanku Silk Manuscripts. These texts are over 2,000 years old and are considered the oldest known silk manuscripts from the Warring States period unearthed in China. They hold significance for the study of ancient Chinese characters, literature, and the history of Chinese scholarship and thought.
Wuxing Ling consists of lunar month illustrations paired with explanatory texts, recording seasonal taboos and auspicious practices throughout the year. Gongshou Zhan features texts arranged in a rare circular formation that are read clockwise, indicating favorable and unfavorable directions, dates, and timing for attacking and defending cities. The manuscripts provide a window into ancient Chinese cosmology, temporal philosophy, and interpretations of human existence.
"The return of the manuscripts shows a carefully considered decision," said Chase F. Robinson, Director of the National Museum of Asian Art, at the handover ceremony. He emphasized the museum's commitment to partnering with Chinese cultural institutions to share knowledge and expand the study of Chinese art history.
Following extensive consultations based on dialogue and cooperation, supported by thorough tracing research, the National Museum of Asian Art agreed to return the cultural treasures to China, marking a step in international cooperation. Discussions for the return were initiated after China applied following the Smithsonian's update of its ethical return policies in 2022. With the policy change, the Smithsonian Institution committed to returning works obtained in ways not compliant with today's standards.
The Zidanku Silk Manuscripts were discovered in 1942 during an illegal excavation in a tomb in Changsha, Hunan Province, where they were stolen by grave robbers from a Chu-state tomb. In 1946, the volumes were illegally exported from China by an American collector and smuggled out four years later. Volume I of the Zidanku Silk Manuscript remains largely intact but has yet to be returned to China, as it is privately owned. Chinese authorities are continuing their contacts for the return of the first volume.
Professor Li Ling from Peking University, who has spent over 40 years tracing the manuscripts' provenance, stated, "The documents hold pivotal significance for the study of ancient Chinese characters and literature, as well as Chinese academic and ideological history." He added that the manuscripts offer insights into the ancient Chinese world of occultism and are crucial for understanding China's rich cultural heritage.
The return of these manuscripts has been a source of inspiration for many Chinese. A user on Chinese social media platform Weibo commented, "Welcome home, national treasures. I hope more cultural relics lost overseas can be repatriated soon."
Xie Feng noted that China and the United States have made "notable progress" in heritage cooperation, with about 600 artifacts returned to China, including more than 40 pieces since the beginning of this year.
The repatriation was facilitated by an intergovernmental Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between China and the United States. The MoU imposes import restrictions on Chinese archaeological materials and cultural artifacts. It was first signed in January 2009 and renewed in 2014 and 2019. The MoU was most recently extended for another five years beginning January 14, 2024. Between 2009 and 2023, the MoU helped facilitate the return of 504 items or sets of Chinese artifacts from the United States.
The repatriation of cultural artifacts displaced throughout history that fall outside the scope of applicable international conventions remains a challenge in cultural heritage governance. After assembling a robust chain of evidence regarding the Zidanku Silk Manuscripts, China formally issued a memorandum to the Smithsonian Institution demanding the return of Wuxing Ling and Gongshou Zhan on April 30, 2023.
Since 2012, 2,310 items or sets of lost Chinese cultural relics have been repatriated.
The Zidanku Silk Manuscripts are the earliest examples of silk text discovered to date. They represent the earliest known example of a Chinese classic book in the true sense and predate the renowned Dead Sea Scrolls by over a century.
"It's important to establish a complete inventory of these lost cultural treasures and research their provenance and transfer history," said Huo Zhengxin, a professor at China University of Political Science and Law's School of International Law.
Huo added that one of the challenges in recovering China's lost cultural relics overseas is their vast number, long history of dispersal, and diverse reasons for loss. "Such academic achievement has supported the restitution of the manuscript," he said.
The return of Wuxing Ling and Gongshou Zhan marks a successful case of proactive recovery of lost cultural artifacts, exemplifying friendship and international collaboration to reclaim and protect humanity's shared legacy. As the morning sun rose, the manuscripts were back home and on their way to the National Cultural Heritage Administration's repository.
The article was written with the assistance of a news analysis system.
