Hey history buffs! Ever wondered how ancient scrolls make their way home? 🎉 The Zidanku Silk Manuscripts – two epic volumes from the Warring States era (475-221 BC) – are finally back after a 79-year globe-trot! 🌏✈️
Discovered in 1942 inside a Chu tomb at the Zidanku site in Changsha, these silk texts titled "Wuxing Ling" and "Gongshou Zhan" were illegally taken abroad in 1946. This spring, the Smithsonian's National Museum of Asian Art teamed up with Chinese cultural agencies to bring them back, arriving in Beijing on May 18. Talk about #CulturalJustice!
Chase Robinson, Director of the Smithsonian's National Museum of Asian Art, says months of careful talks made this handover possible – continuing a century-long partnership with Chinese mainland institutions. 🤝
Why's this such a big deal? As the earliest surviving Chinese silk texts, they're like history's USB drives – packed with insights on ancient tech, art, and philosophy. Now anchored at the Hunan Museum, scholars can dive into fresh research and all of us can marvel at this slice of history. 🏺🔍
In a world where we scroll faster than we blink, stories like this remind us that teamwork across borders can rewrite history. Stay tuned for more cultural gems – no passport needed! 💎
Reference(s):
Zidanku Silk Manuscripts return to China through Sino-US cooperation
cgtn.com
