A SACH document of which Xinhua obtained a copy explains that the specific Patriarch belief in the south of Fujian is a Buddhist belief that has adopted local forms. It is a blend of Buddhism, Taoism, witchcraft and folk-customs. In its particular traditions, Patriarch statues are always crowned and dressed. From generation to generation, village believers have always paraded their statues in full appeal at festivals every year.

In order to convince the collector that Zhanggong Patriarch does come from Yangchun, the SACH official has also sent him pictures of the linen text roll of the village's genealogy, and of the scroll and veiling that Puzhao Temple has kept for centuries.

The ancient text roll records the origin of Zhanggong Patriarch, or "Zhanggong Liuquan Zushi" by its full Chinese name, and shows that it has been worshiped at Puzhao temple in Yangchun village from the Song dynasty (960-1279) to the Yuan dynasty (1279-1368). The Chinese characters on these documents are consistent with those on the praying mat stolen along with the statue of the mummy Buddha, according to Chinese cultural heritage experts.

Besides, a thorough investigation across Fujian province confirmed that apart from Yangchun village there is no other place where both a "Zhanggong Liuquan Zushi" and a "Puzhao Temple" existed together. In fact, ever since the mummy Buddha gained international attention, no other institution or individual in Fujian has made any claim for its ownership.

The collector also questioned the history of Puzhao temple in Yangchun village. "The temple shown on television is completely new, it is built recently with new wood," he told Xinhua.

However, the SACH told Xinhua that the Puzhao temple has been repaired and rebuilt many times, which actually demonstrates the deep bond and attachment between the villagers and their Zhanggong Patriarch. Certain pillars of the temple still stand on four stone foundations that date back to the Ming Dynasty, which proves that Puzhao temple is not a new construction, said the Chinese experts.

Earlier in March, the Dutch collector argued that the previous owner had acquired the statue in Hong Kong in the winter of 1994-1995 before shipping it to Amsterdam in 1995, and in mid-1996 he himself "legally acquired" it. If his saying proves to be true, the mummy Buddha appeared in both Hong Kong and the Netherlands before Yangchun villagers found their statue was stolen on Dec. 15, 1995. However, the collector did not accompany his statements with any proof.

"I am willing to return it to China, but I am not willing to return it to Yangchun," said the collector in an earlier interview with Xinhua. Contacted in May, he confirmed that negotiations for repatriation were underway with Chinese authorities and he expected that "in one or two weeks" the statue would go back to China "in the smartest way possible".

Last week, the Dutch collector disclosed his three conditions for the repatriation of the Chinese Mummy Buddha, which raised serious questioning over his sincerity. His conditions have been rejected by the Chinese authorities except for the request on cooperation for researches.

"We have told him that arrangements [for his intended researches in China] will be made properly, but only under the precondition that an actual intention of return has been reached," the SACH official told Xinhua.