Australia returns 2 lost cultural relics to China

China News Service, Canberra, October 28 (Reporter Bo Wenwen) The State Administration of Cultural Heritage of China received two lost cultural relics from China returned by the National Gallery of Australia in Canberra on the 28th. Tang Wei, Deputy Director of the State Administration of Cultural Heritage of China, Liu Jinsong, Chinese Ambassador to Australia, and Nick Micevic, Director of the National Gallery of Australia, attended the return acceptance ceremony and delivered speeches. Representatives from the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, the Federal Department of Arts and other relevant agencies attended the ceremony.

China stated that promoting the return of lost cultural relics to their countries of origin is a just move to safeguard the security of cultural relics in various countries, respect the cultural rights and national sentiments of people of all countries, and protect the achievements of human civilization. This cooperation is an important result of China and Australia's joint efforts to implement international conventions and protect cultural heritage. It will further promote cultural exchanges and people-to-people bonds between China and Australia.

The Australian side stated that the return of cultural relics is not only the handover of physical objects, but also reflects respect for cultural heritage, responsibility and international partnership. This return will help deepen Australia-China friendly relations and promote continued cooperation between the two sides in the field of cultural heritage protection.

The two cultural relics returned by Australia this time are the heads of the military attache statues of the Yongyu Mausoleum, the imperial mausoleum of the Northern Song Dynasty in China, and the heads of the civil servant statues of the Yongchang Mausoleum. The State Administration of Cultural Heritage of China, in conjunction with the Ministry of Public Security and the Henan Provincial Cultural Relics and Public Security Department, conducted an investigation to form evidence and submitted a memorandum to the National Gallery of Australia in 2025, requesting Australia to return the above-mentioned cultural relics and officially start the recovery process.

The State Administration of Cultural Heritage of China worked closely with the Embassy in Australia, and under the framework of the 1970 UNESCO Convention, based on the intergovernmental memorandum of understanding on cultural relics protection signed by China and Australia in 2009, and the due diligence and traceability and circulation history research policy released by the National Gallery of Australia in 2021, two lost cultural relics were finally returned to the motherland.