This photo taken on Oct. 28, 2026 shows two Chinese cultural relics, the head of a military official statue (L) and the head of a civil official statue, both dating back to the Northern Song Dynasty (960-1127), returned from Australia, in Canberra, Australia. The National Gallery of Australia (NGA) handed over two Chinese cultural relics to China's National Cultural Heritage Administration in Canberra at 2:52 p.m. local time on Wednesday. According to the NGA, both relics are made of limestone and originated from central China's Henan Province. (Photo by Chu Chen/Xinhua)
CANBERRA, Oct. 28 (Xinhua) -- Australia returned two Chinese cultural relics to China at a handover ceremony held at the National Gallery of Australia (NGA) in Canberra on Wednesday.
Tang Wei, deputy director of China's National Cultural Heritage Administration (NCHA), Liu Jinsong, Chinese Ambassador to Australia, and Nick Mitzevich, director of the NGA, attended the ceremony and delivered remarks.
The two relics are the head of a military official statue from the Yongyu Mausoleum and the head of a civil official statue from the Yongchang Mausoleum, both dating back to the Northern Song Dynasty (960-1127). According to the NGA, both relics are made of limestone and originated from central China's Henan Province.
The Chinese side said that returning displaced cultural relics to their countries of origin is an important step towards safeguarding cultural heritage, respecting the cultural rights and national sentiments of peoples around the world, and protecting the achievements of human civilization.
Noting the handover as a significant outcome of China-Australia cooperation in implementing international conventions and protecting cultural heritage, the Chinese side said it would further promote people-to-people exchanges and empathy between the two peoples.
The Australian side said that the return represented more than the physical transfer of cultural objects, reflecting respect for cultural heritage, a sense of responsibility and the importance of international partnerships. It added that the handover would help strengthen Australia-China relations and encourage continued cooperation in cultural heritage protection.
In 2025, the NCHA, working with China's Ministry of Public Security and cultural heritage and public security authorities in Henan Province, submitted a memorandum and supporting evidence to the NGA, formally requesting the return of the two relics.
The successful return was achieved through close coordination between the NCHA and the Chinese Embassy in Australia, within the framework of the UNESCO 1970 Convention on the means of prohibiting and preventing the illicit import, export and transfer of ownership of cultural property, a bilateral memorandum of understanding on cultural heritage protection signed by China and Australia in 2009, and the NGA's 2021 policy on due diligence and provenance research. ■
This photo taken on Oct. 28, 2026 shows two Chinese cultural relics, the head of a military official statue (L) and the head of a civil official statue, both dating back to the Northern Song Dynasty (960-1127), returned from Australia, in Canberra, Australia. The National Gallery of Australia (NGA) handed over two Chinese cultural relics to China's National Cultural Heritage Administration in Canberra at 2:52 p.m. local time on Wednesday.
According to the NGA, both relics are made of limestone and originated from central China's Henan Province. (Photo by Chu Chen/Xinhua)
This photo taken on Oct. 28, 2026 shows an exterior view of the National Gallery of Australia in Canberra, Australia. The National Gallery of Australia (NGA) handed over two Chinese cultural relics to China's National Cultural Heritage Administration in Canberra at 2:52 p.m. local time on Wednesday.
According to the NGA, both relics are made of limestone and originated from central China's Henan Province. (Xinhua/Liu Xiaoyu)
This photo taken on Oct. 28, 2026 shows the head of a civil official statue, a Chinese cultural relic dating back to the Northern Song Dynasty (960-1127), returned from Australia, in Canberra, Australia. The National Gallery of Australia (NGA) handed over two Chinese cultural relics to China's National Cultural Heritage Administration in Canberra at 2:52 p.m. local time on Wednesday.
According to the NGA, both relics are made of limestone and originated from central China's Henan Province. (Photo by Chu Chen/Xinhua)
This photo taken on Oct. 28, 2026 shows the head of a military official statue, a Chinese cultural relic dating back to the Northern Song Dynasty (960-1127), returned from Australia, in Canberra, Australia. The National Gallery of Australia (NGA) handed over two Chinese cultural relics to China's National Cultural Heritage Administration in Canberra at 2:52 p.m. local time on Wednesday.
According to the NGA, both relics are made of limestone and originated from central China's Henan Province. (Photo by Chu Chen/Xinhua)
