Chinese ambassador receives returned tiger-shaped relic from U.S. institution 

 

(ECNS) -- Chinese Ambassador to the United States Xie Feng, on behalf of the Chinese government, formally accepted a tiger-shaped plaque on Thursday that was returned by a U.S. private institution, the Chinese Embassy said Friday.

Xie expressed appreciation and sincere gratitude to the U.S. institution, noting that the artifact's return allows its historical, artistic, and scientific value to be properly preserved, while also adding positive momentum to China-U.S. cultural exchanges.

China will tell the story behind the tiger-shaped plaque through exhibitions and public displays, to pass on the friendship between the two peoples, the ambassador said.

"We welcome more people to promote the return of lost cultural relics to their countries of origin, contributing to enhancing mutual friendship and advancing the development of China-U.S. relations," Xie added.

The tiger-shaped plaque, crafted in the distinctive bronze style of the Ordos region, dates to the Spring and Autumn (770 BC - 476 BC) and Warring States (475 BC - 221 BC) periods. The artifact is a key relic for studying ancient grassland culture and interethnic exchanges in China.

In May 2025, the Smithsonian's National Museum of Asian Art in the US officially returned the Zidanku Silk Manuscript Volumes II and III: Wuxing Ling and Gongshou Zhan from the Warring States Period (475 BC-221 BC) to China.

(By Zhang Dongfang)