During the Cultural Revolution, countless precious cultural relics were destroyed or destroyed, and this loss did not end with time. After entering the reform and opening up, in order to pursue economic benefits, many cultural relics were sold abroad in the form of foreign exchange exchange.
Beginning in the 1960s, China's heritage preservation was on the verge of collapse. At that time, there was a popular belief that "cultural relics are waste, and trade-in is encouraged".
Under the influence of this trend of thought, not only were countless priceless treasures destroyed in China, but a large number of cultural relics also began to flow to foreign markets as a means of exchanging foreign currency to "support national construction".
In the 1980s, a cultural relics store in Tianjin sold a Sui Dynasty blue-glazed garlic bottle to the Japanese. Not only does the bottle come with a shop's certificate, but its trade testifies to the universality and arbitrariness of the trade in artifacts of that era.
At a trade fair held in Japan in 1977, a Qing Dynasty bean glazed and blue and white bowl was also sold. These examples are just the tip of the iceberg, and a large number of cultural relics have been lost overseas in this way.
In the 90s, the situation changed, but the problem is still serious. With the advancement of urban infrastructure construction, many cultural relics were accidentally discovered during the construction process.
Since the cultural relics protection law at that time stipulated that all cultural relics belonged to the state, the citizens or workers who found the cultural relics did not have the right to keep or receive any compensation, which led to a lack of enthusiasm for many people to hand over cultural relics. In order to meet the deadline, some projects even choose to ignore or directly destroy cultural relics.
Many artifacts have been ruthlessly eradicated without excavation and research. Although these actions are promoting economic development, they have undoubtedly caused a huge loss of cultural heritage. The loss of cultural relics means the permanent disappearance of a part of history, which is an irreversible damage to the inheritance of culture.
To further complicate matters, illegal trade and theft of antiquities also occur. Due to the imperfection of the law and the difficulty of law enforcement, many precious cultural relics have been stolen and sold overseas, and a mature black market trading chain has even been formed in the market.
Each of these lost cultural relics carries China's long history and culture, and their loss is not only a material loss, but also a rupture of cultural identity and historical continuity.
The responses from all sectors of society have been complex and diverse. Some people feel sorry for it, and some people are angry about it. Amid a period of condemnation and reflection, people began to re-examine the importance of heritage conservation and called for reform of existing laws to more effectively protect these silent witnesses.
Many experts and scholars at home and abroad have also begun to track down and buy back these lost cultural relics, hoping to return them to their homeland. Although this series of activities is full of difficulties and challenges, it also shows people's cherishing and respect for cultural heritage.
We need to protect cultural relics from destruction and maintain the integrity of history, and how cultural relics, as a unique resource, can play their role in cultural exchanges and economic development without compromising their value is also a question worthy of deep thought.
From the concept of "cultural relics belong to waste" in the 60s to the flood of illegal trade in cultural relics in the 90s, every step reflects the value orientation of society at a specific historical stage and the inadequacy of legal regulation.
The restoration and protection of cultural relics is also gradually on the agenda. In recent years, with the enhancement of people's awareness of conservation and the advancement of technology, many cultural relics that have been damaged or lost have been restored and returned to a certain extent.
This is not only a kind of compensation for history, but also a promise for the future. The complexity and arduousness of the restoration work is self-evident, and each restoration project requires a lot of time, money and technical support.
We can see that despite the many challenges, the conservation of cultural relics is progressing gradually. Both domestic laws and international cooperation in the protection of cultural heritage are constantly making progress.
While these efforts cannot fully compensate for the losses of the past, at least in the future, we can expect to witness a society that respects and values cultural heritage even more.
The stories of these artifacts and the history behind them are also gradually coming to light. Through these stories, we see not only the value of cultural relics themselves, but also the meaning behind their conservation – they are a bridge between the past and the future, and an important part of cultural identity.