Investigation uncovers mismanagement of donated artifacts

An investigation has implicated 29 individuals in significant mismanagement of donated artifacts at Nanjing Museum.

While five of the individuals have since died, the remaining 24 are undergoing legal and disciplinary procedures, with those suspected of having committed criminal activities referred to judicial authorities.

The investigation was guided by the National Cultural Heritage Administration and conducted by a team from the Jiangsu Provincial Party Committee and People's Government.

In 2025, a Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) painting titled Jiangnan Spring, which had been donated to Nanjing Museum, appeared at an auction in Beijing with an estimated value of 88 million yuan ($12.5 million).

The incident attracted widespread attention and raised concerns about the provenance and security of valuable cultural artifacts in museums.

The investigative team conducted inquiries across 12 provinces and municipalities, interviewing more than 1,100 individuals and reviewing at least 65,000 documents. The team collected more than 1,500 pieces of documentary evidence and compared 30,255 pieces of calligraphy and painting artifacts.

According to the team, the effort was aimed at tracing the whereabouts of five paintings donated by the famous collector Pang Zenghe (1864-1949), including Jiangnan Spring, and at investigating any alleged negligence and misconduct during their transfer and circulation.

The findings revealed that during the transfer and circulation of Jiangnan Spring and other paintings, the original Jiangsu Provincial Department of Culture, the Nanjing Museum, and the original Jiangsu Provincial Cultural Relics Store violated cultural relics management regulations.

They illegally approved the transfer of cultural relics and sold them without authorization, resulting in severe social repercussions that necessitate strict action.

Xu Huping, the former executive vice-president of Nanjing Museum, failed to adhere to required appraisal and review procedures. He illegally authorized the transfer of the scroll and other paintings for sale.

Despite prohibitions from the national authorities, Xu, while also serving as the legal representative and manager of the store, approved the sale of the cultural relics.

Xu's tenure was marked by internal management issues, such as discrepancies between accounts and physical assets, inappropriate job role consolidation, and lack of oversight, leading to suspicions of serious job-related violations.

Xu bore primary responsibility for the museum's management deficiencies, especially regarding donated artifacts, the investigation found. He is currently under investigation for other serious disciplinary and legal violations, according to the investigation.

Zhang, an employee of the museum's cultural and creative department, exploited her role managing State-owned assets to illegally trade cultural relics for personal gain. Zhang and others involved are currently under investigation.

The Jiangsu Provincial Department of Culture and Tourism and the Jiangsu Provincial Cultural Heritage Bureau failed to supervise their subordinate units effectively, resulting in major social impacts.

The original Jiangsu Provincial Department of Culture and its officials were responsible for inadequate supervision and guidance, poor implementation of cultural relics management regulations, and illegal approval of cultural relics transfers. The responsible persons at Nanjing Museum and related departments are directly accountable for these violations, according to the investigation.

The province has instructed relevant administrative bodies to file cases regarding the violations.

Nanjing Museum issued a public apology on Monday for mishandling donated artworks, including the Jiangnan Spring scroll, which violated the trust of the donor and harmed his family's reputation and feelings.

It acknowledged systemic management failures and improper conduct in handling the artifacts, which damaged its credibility and said it is committed to improving internal management, enhancing transparency, and ensuring the protection and proper handling of donated cultural relics.

In 1959, Pang donated 137 paintings to Nanjing Museum. In May 2025, Jiangnan Spring was withdrawn from the auction where it had appeared after its appearance was reported by Pang's descendant, Pang Shuling.

Despite visits by Pang Shuling and her lawyer, the museum could not produce Jiangnan Spring or four other donated paintings. The remaining 132 donated paintings remain in the museum's collection.

The Jiangnan Spring scroll and two other paintings have been recovered. Following legal and regulatory consultations, the paintings have been returned to the museum.

The Colored Landscape scroll was found in one of the museum's warehouses, while efforts continue to locate the Pine Breeze and Temple scroll.