Society

Retrieved from abroad, Tang relics set for display

(Xinhua)
Updated: 2011-05-24 15:25

XI'AN - A museum in Northwest China's Shaanxi province plans to exhibit retrieved treasures that were stolen from the tomb of a Tang Dynasty (AD 618-907) queen and sold abroad.

Shaanxi History Museum will display the retrieved relics later this year, which include a stone coffin and five well-preserved murals.

"After the murals are repaired, we'll hold a public exhibition to showcase the ancient treasures and to celebrate their retrieval," said Cheng Xu, deputy head of the museum, who was involved in getting back the stolen pieces over the past six years.

The coffin and murals were taken from the tomb of Wu Huifei (699-737), a concubine of Xuanzong, the seventh emperor of the Tang Dynasty, and sold in the United States.

Police in Xi'an apprehended a gang of thieves, headed by Yang Bin, in 2006 as the gang was attempting to rob another Tang Dynasty tomb in the suburbs of Xi'an.

Yang received a suspended death sentence in 2007, and two key members of his gang were sentenced to life. Other members received prison terms from 11 to 15 years.

The 27-tonne stone coffin was returned to the Shaanxi museum last year and the five murals, measuring 1.2 meters long and between 80 and 90 cm wide, were retrieved earlier this year and transferred to the museum on May 12.

Two weeks ago, the Ministry of Public Security initiated an eight-month campaign in 17 provinces to combat the rampant theft, smuggling and illegal trade of cultural relics.

The move was announced days after several works of art on loan from a Hong Kong collector were stolen from the Palace Museum in Beijing's heavily-guarded Forbidden City.