After nearly eight decades abroad, rare silk manuscripts dating back over 2,000 years have been returned to China. On Friday, the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Asian Art officially handed over volumes II and III of the Zidanku Silk Manuscripts, titled Wuxing Ling and Gongshou Zhan, to China’s National Cultural Heritage Administration.
The handover ceremony took place at the Chinese Embassy in the United States in Washington, D.C. These priceless artifacts were unearthed in 1942 from the Zidanku site in Changsha, Hunan Province, but were illegally taken to the United States in 1946. They are the only known silk manuscripts from the Warring States period (475-221 BC) ever discovered.
The Zidanku Silk Manuscripts are divided into three volumes, with the returned texts being the second and third. These manuscripts represent the earliest known example of classical Chinese books in the true sense. They hold immense value for the study of ancient Chinese script, literature, and the history of Chinese scholarship and thought.
“This return ensures that these invaluable artifacts can now be fully and rightfully protected and studied in the soil from which they came,” said Rao Quan, Vice Minister of Culture and Tourism and head of the National Cultural Heritage Administration, in a video address. “It allows for a more accurate and comprehensive understanding and interpretation of their heritage value, transforming them into shared academic and civilizational assets for China and the world.”
Chinese Ambassador to the United States Xie Feng called the return a “cultural milestone” and a testament to China–U.S. cooperation in heritage preservation, bringing new vitality to people-to-people exchanges and friendship. According to Xie, China and the United States have made notable progress in heritage cooperation, with around 600 artifacts sent back to China, including more than 40 pieces since the start of this year.
Chase F. Robinson, director of the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Asian Art, stated that the return of the manuscripts reflects a carefully considered decision and is an example of mutually beneficial and collegial international collaboration.
These manuscripts will be publicly displayed for the first time in July 2025 at the National Museum of China as part of an exhibition on the repatriation of cultural relics. The National Cultural Heritage Administration also expressed its commitment to working toward the early return of Sishi Ling, the remaining volume of the Zidanku silk manuscripts.
