Old Summer Palace relics neglected at Peking Uni  

圆明园石刻被曝扔在北大车棚 布满灰尘带垃圾(图)

Two stone carvings from the Old Summer Palace have been found outdoors and unprotected at Peking University. (Photo source: Beijing Youth Daily)

(ECNS) -- Two stone carvings from the Old Summer Palace have been found outdoors and unprotected at Peking University, YNET.com reported on Friday.

The relics, which are more than 200 years old, were seen near a bike shed for employees at the university's Sackler Museum of Art and Archaeology. The artifacts were covered with dust and rubbish such as cigarette butts and orange peels.

The two Western-style carvings were once parts of an ancient fountain in the Old Sumer Palace. Decades ago during a demolition project, the relics were stored along with other parts of the fountain at Peking University.

Though major parts of the structure were moved back in the 1970s, the two carvings were left behind, according to Liu Yang, president of a local folklore society in Beijing.

The two pieces were rediscovered during a construction project in 2012 at the school's Long Run Park, and then kept by the Sackler Museum.

"The stone carvings are heavy, so there is no need to put them indoors," said Li, a manager at the museum.

"The two pieces are safe, since they are within the scope of the museum's electronic monitoring system," Li added.

However, Liu Yang disagreed: "Simply putting cultural relics near a museum can't be called a measure of protection."

"How can people know that these two carvings, covered with dust, are cultural relics?" Liu said. "And without a protective fence around them, the carvings can be damaged easily."