China's Deputy Minister of Culture and Tourism and head of the National Cultural Heritage Administration Li Qun (2nd R) and Matthew Bogdanos (2nd L), chief of the Antiquities Trafficking Unit of the Manhattan District Attorney's Office, sign documents at a handover ceremony of returned Chinese cultural objects at the Chinese Consulate General in New York, the United States, on April 17, 2024. [Photo/Xinhua]
NEW YORK -- Chinese officials received 38 pieces of cultural relics returned by the Manhattan District Attorney's Office on Wednesday.
The handover ceremony, held at the Chinese Consulate General in New York, was attended by Li Qun, deputy minister of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, along with Chinese Consul General in New York Huang Ping, and Matthew Bogdanos, chief of the Antiquities Trafficking Unit at the Manhattan District Attorney's Office.
China will continue to actively fulfill the memorandum of understanding with the United States on preventing the illegal entry of Chinese cultural relics into the United States, and work with the United States to establish a sound mechanism for information sharing on stolen relics, contributing the wisdom and strength of both countries to safeguarding cultural heritage and promoting mutual understanding through cultural exchanges, Li said.
Staff members check the condition of returned Chinese cultural objects at a handover ceremony at the Chinese Consulate General in New York, the United States, on April 17, 2024. [Photo/Xinhua]
Most of the 38 pieces of cultural relics returned Wednesday are Tibetan Buddhist artifacts from China, dating from the Yuan to Ming and Qing dynasties, with a rich variety and exquisite craftsmanship. Among them, ivory carvings, wooden sculptures, and fragments of murals are particularly rare and hold significant historical, artistic, and scientific value.
These artifacts were seized by the Manhattan District Attorney's Office in March. After receiving the artifacts in New York, the National Cultural Heritage Administration will arrange for their timely return to China.
Staff members check the condition of returned Chinese cultural objects at a handover ceremony at the Chinese Consulate General in New York, the United States, on April 17, 2024. [Photo/Xinhua]
Returned Chinese cultural objects are seen at a handover ceremony at the Chinese Consulate General in New York, the United States, on April 17, 2024. [Photos/Xinhua]
