A glimpse of Chinese cultural relics in foreign museums

Russia

Some Buddhist scriptures from Mogao Buddhism Cave in Dunhuang are now kept in the Far-East Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences. [File photo]

Several Chinese treasures were sacked during the Siege of the International Legations by the United Kingdom, the United States, France, Russian Empire, German Empire, Kingdom of Italy, Austria-Hungary and the Empire of Japan in 1900.

However, not-so-many Chinese historic relics were ever exhibited in Russian museums. According to Chinese media, some cultural relics were sold to Western European countries by exiled aristocrats in the last century, while others were kept in research institutions.

On the list of Chinese cultural relics at the Far-East Institute of Russian Academy of Sciences in Saint Petersburg, there is a record of 12,000 documents and Buddhist scriptures from Dunhuang.