Return of Old Summer Palace relics delayed   

圆明园石柱延期回国 因海关手续繁杂

去年2月，北京青年报以《中国商人拟向挪威捐款千万换圆明园石柱回归》为题，报道7根流失挪威的圆明园石柱9月份入藏北京大学的消息。然而，北青报记者从北大获悉，圆明园石柱并未如期归来。石柱购买者黄怒波所在的中坤集团回应，因海关手续繁杂，7根圆明园石柱要延期回国，目前仍在挪威。 [查看全文]

(ECNS) -- The return of seven marble columns looted from the Imperial Yuanmingyuan Garden, or the old Summer Palace, will be delayed because of complex customs procedures, Beijing Youth Daily reported on Saturday.

Huang Nubo, the chairman of Zhongkun Investment Group and a Peking University alumnus, promoted an agreement with Kode Art Museum in Bergen, Norway, in December 2013 to donate 10 million Norwegian Krone ($1.6 million) to the museum. The money will be used for refurbishment of the museum's Chinese art collection.

In return, the seven columns, currently exhibited at the Norwegian institution, are set to return home this fall and will be displayed at Peking University, according to the report.

However, return of the relics is raising public concern about the fate of numerous Chinese works stolen in the past.

Liu Yang, author of Who Collects Yuanmingyuan, says Peking University is not a professional heritage organization and that such relics should be preserved at their point of origin.

Displaying the seven marble columns at Peking University is the donor's personal preference, which should be respected, but not advocated, he added.

Huang said in an interview that his donation was based on a personal decision. Displaying these relics at Peking University, his alma mater, which is also part of the old Summer Palace, has significant educational value, it was added.

A Peking University expert said the relics would receive the professional maintenance necessary for the preservation and protection of such important pieces of cultural heritage.