In a landmark appeal for cultural preservation, UCLA professor Lothar von Falkenhausen has called for the reunification of the 2,300-year-old Chu Silk Manuscripts, the oldest known Chinese texts on silk. Unearthed in Changsha’s Zidanku site, these artifacts offer unparalleled insights into early Chinese philosophy, astronomy, and rituals, yet remain scattered across institutions.
Two volumes recently returned to China by the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Asian Art in May 2024 are still fragmented, while the most complete piece—Volume I—remains abroad. Falkenhausen, co-translator of the newly published English edition The Chu Silk Manuscripts from Zidanku, Changsha, emphasized their scholarly and symbolic value: "These texts form a cohesive narrative. Fragmenting them distorts our understanding of ancient China’s intellectual world."
The manuscripts’ dispersal began during wartime upheavals in the 20th century. Their reunification, Falkenhausen argues, would strengthen global efforts to study pre-Qin dynasty thought while honoring China’s cultural legacy. The publication by the Chinese University of Hong Kong Press has reignited debates about heritage stewardship, with scholars urging cross-border collaboration to piece together this historical puzzle.
