Relic recovery verdict sets legal precedent

Love for deity, quest for justice commendable

The international community agrees that cultural and historical relics should be protected in situ and therefore returned (by the country where they currently are) to the country of origin. Otherwise, the relics will lose luster of their historical and cultural value.

The theft of the Buddha statue was a big blow to the villagers of Yangchun and Dongpu, but kept looking for it for two decades till it was found at an exhibition in Budapest, capital of Hungary, in 2015.

It is commendable that the villagers resorted to legal means to recover their beloved Zhang Gong Patriarch. They have not only won the case in court but also drawn the attention and sympathy of the world.

Yet it is still too early to celebrate. Due to the different legal and judicial systems of China and the Netherlands, the Chinese court's verdict may not be enough to force the collector to return the statue to the villagers.

More than 10 million pieces of Chinese artifacts are lying in museums or private collectors abroad. Some were sold and some looted. But the increasing number of returned relics, especially valuable ones, in recent years shows China's determination to protect its cultural heritage, which will help boost the Chinese people's cultural confidence.

Sun Jiashan, a researcher at the Chinese National Academy of Arts

The views don't necessarily represent those of China Daily.