International conference addresses cultural object restitution from colonial contexts

The 2nd council meeting of the Alliance for Cultural Heritage in Asia hosted the International Conference on the Protection and Return of Cultural Objects Removed from Colonial Contexts in Qingdao, Shandong province, drawing over 150 delegates from 27 countries and two international organizations.

During the conference, the "Qingdao Recommendation for the Protection and Return of Cultural Objects Removed from Colonial Contexts or Acquired by Other Unjustifiable or Unethical Means" was unveiled, advocating enhanced communication and collaboration to address challenges related to the safeguarding and repatriation of such artifacts.

In his keynote address, Li Qun, director of the National Cultural Heritage Administration, underscored the conference's objectives of knowledge exchange, consensus-building, and the exploration of innovative strategies for the restitution of historically displaced cultural treasures that fall outside the purview of existing international agreements.

Representatives from cultural and museum institutions in the United Kingdom, United States, Norway, Germany and China, alongside scholars from various universities, shared their expertise and perspectives on research, preservation, and international cooperation in provenance studies, conservation, and the repatriation of cultural artifacts.

A significant moment at the conference was the ceremonial transfer of physical evidence pertaining to the Zidanku Silk Manuscripts, once illicitly taken to the US in the 1940s. This invaluable manuscript, originating from the Warring States Period (475-221 BC), was returned from the University of Chicago to China, marking a pivotal step in rectifying historical cultural transgressions.