A Chinese NGO aims to develop a model for recovering Chinese cultural treasures overseas
　　
　　On May 9, the first group of Chinese collectors taking part in an “Overseas Treasure Hunting Activity” arrived back in Beijing after a one-week trip to Japan. On their visit to Tokyo, Yokohama, Nagoya, Kyoto and Osaka, they found about 20 rare Chinese cultural relics of significant value.
　　Since the Opium War in 1840, large quantities of Chinese treasures have been taken abroad. According to statistics from the China Cultural Relics Academy, more than 10 million Chinese cultural relics have gone to Europe, the United States, Japan and Southeast Asian countries. Most of these lost Chinese treasures are in the hands of individuals. Statistics from the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) show that in over 200 museums in 47 foreign countries, there are 1.67 million Chinese cultural relics. The number of those held by individual collectors is estimated to be 10 times that total.
　　As “witnesses of history,” cultural relics are one of the important carriers of civilization. To some extent, a country’s loss of its cultural relics--the evidence of its history and civilization--is like an interruption of its history.
　　As China’s economic status improves, more people are calling for the recovery of relics lost overseas. But this kind of request is not limited to China. Many countries continue to demand the return of cultural relics taken out of the country illegally, citing legal or moral justification.
　　Currently, however, the Chinese Government has more urgent priorities as it faces many other problems of development. Under these circumstances, nongovernmental forces are springing up to deal with the issue. In August 2002, the Chinese Fund for the Recovery of Overseas Relics was set up in Beijing. It is the first nongovernmental organization (NGO) in China focused on recovering Chinese cultural treasures abroad.
　　The fund has only four full-time employees, but each activity it has held since its founding has drawn attention. On July 5, 2003, the organization formally launched the “National Treasure Project,” whose purpose is “seeking multiple channels to recover overseas relics and bring them back as soon as possible,” based on Chinese laws and the international conventions China has signed.
　　The “Overseas Treasure Hunting Activity” is one of the important parts of the “National Treasure Project.” After its visit to Japan, the group plans to go to the United States, France, Britain, Sweden and Norway.
　　Many people say this activity should have been started sooner. Others, however, think it is actually being done for commercial reasons, cloaked in the guise of patriotism.
　　Meanwhile, a number of people say the government should bear the main responsibility for recovering lost relics and that diplomatic and legal means should be the main methods. In this case, NGOs can only play a symbolic role. And a few even think it is unnecessary, given that there are many other problems, and that many domestic cultural relics do not have effective protection.
　　What is the motivation for overseas treasure hunting? What role will NGOs play in recovering lost relics? Beijing Review reporter Feng Jianhua spoke to Niu Xianfeng, Vice Secretary General of the Chinese Fund for the Recovery of Overseas Relics and one of the organizers of the “Overseas Treasure Hunting Activity.”
　　
　　Beijing Review: Why did you organize this overseas cultural relic recovery activity?
　　Niu Xianfeng: With the improvement in economic conditions, interest in collecting relics has been rising in China in recent years. After some collectors’ horizons were broadened, the idea of going abroad to seek treasures came naturally to them. Quite a lot of collectors have already gone abroad, but most of these were individual efforts without good effects. If an NGO can unite them, it will be easier for them to gain the trust of the foreign owners of these artifacts and communicate with them, which is beneficial for improving work efficiency. In addition, the Cultural Relics Protection Law revised in October 2002 allows civilians to buy cultural relics, and the relics can be circulated according to law. This provides the legal foundation for the civilians’ overseas treasure hunting to some extent.
　　So, we organized this activity to meet the demand of domestic collectors on the one hand. On the other hand, this kind of nongovernmental overseas treasure hunting activity can draw widespread attention from society, which can foster a social atmosphere of caring for lost relics. To seek illegally lost relics is a matter between countries, and the government should play the main role. Some countries, such as Italy, are successful examples. Even so, we can’t ignore the strength and function of NGOs. International experiences show that NGOs often go ahead, mediate with others and set off the recovery of relics, which will be concluded by the government.
　　What is the purpose of the “Overseas Treasure Hunting Activity?”
　　The “Overseas Treasure Hunting Activity” is not completely aimed at recovering many valuable relics. The key is to explore a way to establish a model for purchasing lost treasures. Lost relics can be recovered through three methods: voluntary return, purchase and demanding their return.
　　The voluntary return of relics has been the most frequently applied method in recent years, but the total number of relics returned in this manner is limited, and it cannot be the main recovery method.
　　Demanding the return of illegally lost relics is a sensitive and complicated issue. Although the United Nations put forward the principle of “protecting cultural property in the place of origin” in an international convention, implementation of the convention has encountered obstructions. For example, on December 9, 2002, 18 European and U.S. museums, including the British Museum, the Louvre and the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, jointly released a declaration opposing the return of artwork, especially ancient cultural relics, to their original countries, which created a dispute in the international community. As far as I know, China hasn’t seen the return of any illegally lost relics that it has demanded.
　　After twists and turns, many illegally lost relics have been circulated in the market and become commodities. So to purchase relics in the market is an indispensable way. We’re exploring ways to set up a purchasing model to realize the recovery of overseas relics through international cooperation and cultural exchange on the basis of equal dialogue.
　　Many people question whether your activity is nongovernmental. Some even consider it a commercial activity concealed by a patriotic flag. What is your response?
　　This activity is a purely nongovernmental action. The government gives no directions or subsidies. We’ve just recorded the activity with our supervisory agency, the Ministry of Culture, according to conventional practice. All expenses for attending this activity are borne by collectors themselves. As a nongovernmental public welfare organization, we’re just the organizer. Meanwhile, to make the activity more effective, we invited some expert appraisers to join it.
　　Some people doubt that our activity is nongovernmental. I think it’s a kind of habitual thinking only the Chinese have. They think this kind of activity, done with patriotic feeling, must have governmental intervention. In fact, it’s not true. The return of overseas relics is a trend. We’re just following this trend. In other words, the emergence of the “Overseas Treasure Hunting Activity” is a natural tendency of the development of the market economy. If the Chinese Fund for the Recovery of Overseas Relics didn’t organize it, there would be other organizations holding similar activities.
　　To some extent, a cultural relic is a commodity, but it’s very special compared with ordinary commodities. We should admit we’re using commercial means in this activity. But in terms of social impact, it’s for the public welfare, far beyond its measure of economic value.
　　Why does a nongovernmental overseas treasure hunting activity attract so much attention from society? Is this what you expected?
　　We expected that there would be an impact, since previous related activities gained close attention. But I should say, we’ve kept a low-key stance in holding this activity. For example, we only issued a short news release before the activity was launched. But we did not expect it to generate so much attention. Some media made it into a lofty action, infused with national emotion. They often link lost relics with national dignity.
　　One point I must stress is that quite a number of overseas relics were obtained through normal channels such as trade and cultural exchange. Moreover, even some holders of illegally lost relics did not obtain them illegally. In addition, having lots of cultural relics lost overseas is not a shame to some degree, but, on the contrary, it indicates the power of a country. For example, in the Tang Dynasty [618-907], the heyday of the Chinese feudal age, its civilization and culture were spread to the world through cultural relics. So, with regard to this issue, we should have rational and objective judgment, and should not mix in our personal feelings.
　　
　　Are there any regrets about this activity?
　　
　　There are no regrets about the activity itself. But collectors say the relics they’ve seen and bought during this activity are not enough. Some collectors brought a lot of money but had no chance to use it. This problem should be analyzed from two aspects. First, as a commercial activity, treasure hunting has no limit. It’s natural that they are not fully satisfied. Second, there are some objective factors such as language barriers, which impeded them from better communication with foreigners. Domestic collectors lack tactics, which is also a main reason.
　　As long as we lay a solid foundation, we’ll hold follow-up activities in succession. Then, we’ll have more and more achievements. Currently, we mainly aim at putting up a platform between domestic and foreign collectors and solving the unbalanced information on both sides, so as to facilitate equal dialogue for recovering lost relics.

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