After nearly 80 years abroad, volumes II and III of the ancient Chu Silk Manuscripts have finally returned to China. The manuscripts, dating back over two millennia, were repatriated from the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Asian Art in May.
Unearthed from a tomb in Zidanku, Changsha, in China’s Hunan Province during the 1940s, the manuscripts were illegally removed from the country amidst political turmoil. For decades, they passed through various institutions across the United States, remaining out of reach for Chinese scholars and the public.
Donald Harper, Centennial Professor of Chinese Studies at the University of Chicago, reflects on the historic significance of their return. “It’s an emotional moment,” he says. “These manuscripts are a vital part of China’s cultural heritage.”
Professor Harper praises the relentless efforts of academics like Professor Li Ling, whose decades of research were instrumental in facilitating the manuscripts’ repatriation. “Their dedication ensured that these invaluable pieces of history could finally come home,” Harper notes.
The return coincides with the release of the newly published English edition of “The Chu Silk Manuscripts from Zidanku, Changsha (Hunan Province),” which Harper co-translated with Professor Lothar von Falkenhausen of the University of California, Los Angeles. The publication aims to make these ancient texts accessible to a global audience.
“Now, people can look at the English edition and have an exact representation of what these Zidanku Silk Manuscripts are and what their position is in world civilization,” Harper explains. He hopes the work will spark comparative studies and foster a deeper appreciation of Chinese history worldwide.
The manuscripts’ return marks a significant moment in cultural preservation, symbolizing the importance of protecting and honoring historical artifacts. For young people around the world, it serves as a reminder of the rich tapestry of human history and the ongoing efforts to preserve it.
