About 3,000 years ago, a bronze vessel was cast on the land of China, and since then it has begun to carry the ceremonial code of the long-standing Chinese civilization. It wasn't until 46 years ago that it was unearthed from an archaeological site and came into the spotlight today, but then it was stolen and lost overseas. In January this year, the State Administration of Cultural Heritage finally successfully recovered it from the United States and returned to China, which is the national first-class cultural relic, the late Western Zhou Dynasty bronze - Feng Xing Shugui. On the occasion of the 45th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and the United States, Feng Xing Shuwei returned to his homeland and marked the mark of "courtesy" for the cultural exchanges and friendly cooperation between the two countries, which became a vivid example of Sino-US friendship.
Reflecting the superb casting level of the Western Zhou Dynasty bronzes, bronze is a great invention in human history, it is an alloy of red copper, tin and lead, and it is also the earliest alloy in the history of metal smelting and casting. The prevalence of bronze marked and led human history to a new stage - the Bronze Age. The Western Zhou Dynasty and the Spring and Autumn Period were the heyday of China's Bronze Age, and they were engraved and carried with a brilliant, mysterious and unique bronze culture, which occupied an extremely important page in Chinese history and world history, and established China's status as one of the ancient civilizations in the world. There are many varieties of bronze ware, the quantity is huge, the craftsmanship is exquisite, from the use can be divided into cooking utensils, food vessels, wine vessels, water vessels, musical instruments and miscellaneous utensils, etc., the specific types include Ding, mustache, bottle, retort, kettle, Gui, basket, Sheng, bean, Meng, Dun, Yun, Yi, Ministry, Zun, halo, Jue, horn, goblet, touch, pot, tea, bucket, square, etc., it can really be described as a wide range of uses, varied, colorful. Among them, it was used as an ancient food utensil, and it was also an important ritual vessel. In the sacrificial and feasting, it is used in conjunction with the tripod to hold millet, millet, rice, sorghum and other food grains. As recorded in the document "Zhou Li, Diguan, Sheren", "all sacrifices, a basket together, the real Chenzhi"; During the Western Zhou Dynasty, bronze was prevalent. The Western Zhou Dynasty had strict hierarchies and paid attention to "Tibetan rituals in instruments". When Lieding was cast, some of the utensils used for sacrifices and feasts were given special meanings and became a symbol of the inheritance of the ritual system. The nature of the gui and the tripod and other utensils is the same, under the strict hierarchy system, they have become the utensils that mark the noble rank and etiquette. In 1978, in a bronze cellar in Famen Town, Fufeng County, Baoji City, Shaanxi Province, a bronze vessel was unearthed, which is the protagonist of this cultural relics across the ocean - Feng Xing Shugui. It has a height of 18 centimeters, a diameter of 21 centimeters, a depth of 12 centimeters and a weight of 6 kilograms. The belly drum, the mouth, the upper abdomen is decorated with a week of stealing curves, the lower part of the abdomen is decorated with corrugated patterns, the three flat feet of the beast head are connected under the circle foot, and the upper end of both ears is decorated with the head of the beast with a curly nose, the shape is unique, it is a typical bronze vessel of the Western Zhou Dynasty, with a concise and solemn style of the times. There are 3 lines of inscription and 18 characters (including 2 heavy texts) on the inner bottom of this Gui - "Uncle Feng Xing is a Bo Ji Zun, and his descendants and grandchildren will use it for ten thousand years". Archaeological experts said that the bronze is a precious category in the ancient relics, and the Western Zhou Dynasty is a period when China's bronze culture is highly developed. At the same time, the shape, ornamentation and calligraphy of the utensils are exquisite, and they all have certain aesthetic value. In this way, the overall value of cultural relics is self-evident. However, it was stolen in November 1984 and has since been lost overseas.
There are 3 lines of inscription and 18 characters on the inner bottom of Feng Xing Shu Gui - "Feng Xing Shu is Bo Ji Zun, and his children and grandchildren will use it for ten thousand years"
结束40年海外漂泊，丰邢叔簋重归祖国怀抱
Forty years later, in January 2023, the State Administration of Cultural Heritage of China learned through the Chinese Embassy in the United Kingdom that Feng Xing Shugui had appeared in New York, USA, so it immediately launched the recovery procedure for the lost cultural relics, and cooperated with the Ministry of Public Security to guide the local cultural relics and public security departments to quickly collect and sort out relevant evidence, and at the same time fully communicated with the owner of the cultural relics, Raymond King and his mother. After learning about the background of the artifacts, the two resolutely decided to "do the right thing" and agreed to return the artifacts to the Chinese government unconditionally. On November 11, 2023, with the authorization of the State Administration of Cultural Heritage, Huang Ping, Consul General of the Consulate General of the People's Republic of China in New York, received and temporarily stored Feng Xing Shuwei on behalf of the State Administration of Cultural Heritage. Since then, the State Administration of Cultural Heritage has guided the China Cultural Relics Exchange Center, Beijing Lu Xun Museum and other relevant units to jointly launch the return of Feng Xing Shugui. Beijing Customs and Capital Airport Customs provide green channels for the entry of cultural relics, and the Civil Aviation Administration of China directs Air China to provide relevant assistance. On January 28, 2024, under the escort of a special person, Feng Xing Shuwei arrived safely in Beijing on Air China flight CA986, ending 40 years of overseas travel and wandering, and returning to the embrace of the motherland. On the second day of the cultural relics set foot on the homeland, after the organization of experts to identify the physical object and repeatedly compare and verify with the historical archive photos and rubbing materials, it was comprehensively determined from the modeling style, decoration technology, inscription style, rusty appearance, disabled traces, etc., that the Gui was the original vessel of Feng Xing Shugui, which was a national first-class cultural relic. The State Administration of Cultural Heritage said that it will organize and carry out the protection, research, publicity and display of the cultural relics of Fengxing Shugui in a timely manner, fully excavate the value of cultural relics, and effectively strengthen the protection of cultural relics.
Before Feng Xingshuwei returned to China, a meaningful return ceremony was held in Portland, Oregon, where Raymond King and his mother now live. In order to praise the philanthropic deeds of Raymond King and his mother, and to highlight the achievements of the cooperation in the protection of cultural heritage between China and the United States and the friendly exchanges between the two peoples, on the afternoon of January 22, 2024, the State Administration of Cultural Heritage and the Consulate General of the People's Republic of China in San Francisco jointly held a ceremony for the return of Feng Xing Shugui. The ceremony was attended by Raymond King and his mother, the Consulate General in San Francisco, the Lost Art Registry, Sotheby's New York, and local citizens. Li Qun, Vice Minister of Culture and Tourism of the People's Republic of China and Director of the State Administration of Cultural Heritage, delivered a video message at the ceremony, expressing his sincere gratitude to Raymond King and his mother, as well as all parties involved in facilitating the return. In his speech, Li Qun said that the return of Feng Xing Shuwei is an important achievement in the implementation of the San Francisco consensus between the Chinese and US heads of state, provides a positive example for promoting the return of more cultural relics to their countries of origin, and is also a vivid example of the friendly exchanges between the Chinese and American peoples. Li Qun said that since the signing of the Intergovernmental Memorandum of Understanding between China and the United States to prevent Chinese cultural relics from illegally entering the United States, many American non-governmental friendly people such as Raymond King and his mother have taken practical actions to help the Chinese cultural relics lost overseas to return to their homeland. Such vivid stories of friendly exchanges between the Chinese and American people have injected fresh impetus into the continuous expansion of cultural heritage protection and people-to-people exchanges and cooperation between China and the United States. Combating illicit trafficking in cultural property is in the common interest of all mankind and requires all countries of the world to work together and all sectors of society to take joint action. Raymond King and his mother introduced the situation of Feng Xing Shugui, and once again expressed their strong desire to return the lost cultural relics to their homeland as soon as possible. At the same time, they also expressed their gratitude to all parties for their trust and support, and expressed their deep love for Chinese culture and their determination to help protect the world's cultural heritage. On behalf of the State Administration of Cultural Heritage, Zhang Jianmin, Consul General of the Chinese Consulate General in San Francisco, presented a donation certificate to Raymond King and his mother, in recognition of their contributions to the recovery and repatriation of lost Chinese cultural relics. Zhang Jianmin said that the loss of overseas Chinese cultural relics carries the historical feelings and cultural memories of the Chinese people and is an inseparable part of China's cultural heritage. On the occasion of the 45th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and the United States, the return of Feng Xing Shugui is an important achievement of cultural exchanges between the two countries, which helps strengthen the friendship between China and the United States and sets an example for global cooperation in the protection of cultural heritage. The relevant person in charge of the "Lost Art Registration Organization" reviewed the process of facilitating the return of Feng Xing Shugui, expressed his gratitude to Raymond King and his mother for their selfless behavior, and expressed the hope that the return of Feng Xing Shuwei can effectively promote the return of other lost cultural relics and build a bridge for friendship between continents. The person in charge of Sotheby's Auction House briefly introduced the unforgettable experience of working with Raymond King and the "Lost Art Registry" to return Feng Xing Shugui, and expressed his commitment to the protection of cultural properties.
Three views of Feng Xing Shuwei up close
China attaches great importance to the recovery and repatriation of lost cultural relics, actively participates, promotes and leads relevant international governance, and has acceded to UNESCO's 1970 Convention on the Means of Prohibiting and Preventing the Illicit Import, Export and Transfer of Ownership of Cultural Property in 1989. In 2014, the Dunhuang Declaration on the Protection and Return of Stolen and Excavated Cultural Property Illegally Exported from China was adopted, which was the first international rule in the field of the return of cultural relics led by China, marking the beginning of a new stage in which China has begun to move from passively accepting international rules to actively participating in the formulation of international rules. From May 30 to June 1, 2023 local time, China was elected as a Vice-President of the Assembly of States Parties to the Convention for the first time, successfully re-elected as a member of the Subsidiary Committee, and was elected as a Vice-President of the current session of the Subsidiary Committee at the 7th Session of the Conference of States Parties to the UNESCO Convention on the Means of Prohibiting and Preventing the Illicit Import, Export and Transfer of Ownership of Cultural Property held in Paris, France. This is an important achievement of China's active participation in the work of the Assembly of States Parties in recent years, the fulfilment of its responsibilities as a member of the Subsidiary Committee, and its international cooperation in combating illicit trafficking in cultural property and promoting the return of lost cultural relics. Under the framework of international conventions, China has so far signed agreements on cultural, cultural relics and tourism cooperation with more than 150 countries, and intergovernmental agreements with more than 20 countries on preventing the illegal entry and exit of cultural relics. Since the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, the State Administration of Cultural Heritage has facilitated the return of more than 1,800 pieces (sets) of Chinese cultural relics and artworks lost abroad through international law enforcement cooperation, international civil litigation, diplomatic negotiations, and negotiated donations, involving 13 countries and regions, including the United States, Italy, France, the United Kingdom, Japan, Australia, Switzerland, Canada, Egypt, Turkey, and Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan, China, which has stimulated the public's patriotic enthusiasm and strengthened cultural self-confidence. For a long time, China and the United States have worked together in the field of cultural heritage to combat the illegal trafficking of cultural relics, setting an example for cracking down on the theft, excavation and smuggling of cultural relics through international cooperation on a global scale, and jointly safeguarding the common cultural wealth of all mankind and protecting the safety of cultural relics. China and the United States signed the first U.S.-China Intergovernmental Memorandum of Understanding on January 14, 2009 to prevent the illegal entry of Chinese cultural relics into the United States, and then renewed it in 2014 and 2019 respectively, valid until January 13, 2024, during which 15 batches of a total of 504 pieces (sets) of cultural relics and artworks lost to the United States were successfully returned to China. This important document on China-US intergovernmental cooperation on cultural heritage has been approved by the State Council of China and confirmed by the exchange of notes between China and the United States, and its validity period has been extended for another five years from January 14 this year. This is a pragmatic measure to implement the consensus reached by the two heads of state on expanding exchanges and cooperation between China and the United States in the field of culture, which will further promote cultural and cultural relics exchanges and cooperation between China and the United States, enhance the friendship between the two peoples, and continue to inject positive energy into people-to-people friendly exchanges into China-US relations. The author is a senior media professional. All images in this article are courtesy of the State Administration of Cultural Heritage, and this article was published in the April 2024 issue of Bauhinia magazine