Ivory and ivory products will be banned from being processed or sold in Shanxi from March 31 in order to combat the illegal ivory trade and protect elephants, according to Shanxi Arts and Crafts Museum.
All ivory items in domestic craft stores now have a unique ID and the museum is no exception. Collectors can trace the source and trade channel of crafts exhibited at the museum by scanning a QR code attached to the exhibit.
Upon hearing the news of the ban, many people flocked to the museum to view and buy ivory products. The remaining ivory products on sale in the museum will be stored for safekeeping following March 31.
Ivory carving in China is an ancient art which dates back five thousand years and is still popular among the public. Currently, the raw materials for ivory carving are mainly from Africa, which harms the population of local wild elephants.
The ban on ivory processing and trading will be enacted nationwide from Dec 31, helping control the illegal ivory trade and protect existing wild elephants.
