The National Cultural Heritage Administration sees the return of the head of a bronze Chinese zodiac horse statue as a crucial step and mentions that its return was seen as a symbol of “washing away national humiliation” by many Chinese citizens.
The bronze horse head, which was stolen by British and French troops 160 years ago, was donated by the late Macao casino tycoon Stanley Ho to the National Museum of China on November 13, 2019 to celebrate the 70th anniversary of the founding of the People’s Republic of China.
Ho had bought the head for HK$69.1 million ($8.84 million) at an auction in September 2007.
The returns took place in four ways – through law enforcement agencies, diplomatic negotiations, purchasing or donations.
In 2006, the National Cultural Heritage Administration launched a webpage dedicated to the international fight against the illegal trafficking of cultural property.
