In a landmark moment for cultural preservation, volumes II and III of the Chu Silk Manuscripts have returned to China after nearly 80 years abroad. The artifacts, illegally removed from a tomb in Changsha's Zidanku area during the 1940s, were repatriated this May from the Smithsonian's National Museum of Asian Art.
Donald Harper, Centennial Professor of Chinese Studies at the University of Chicago, described the repatriation as "a bridge between ancient wisdom and modern stewardship." In an exclusive interview, Harper emphasized the manuscripts' significance as "the oldest known Chinese texts on astronomy and cosmology," dating to the Warring States period (475–221 BCE).
The recovery follows decades of research by Professor Li Ling of Peking University, whose work authenticated the manuscripts' origins and supported China's restitution claims. Harper praised Li's "meticulous scholarship" and noted the role of international collaboration in resolving complex ownership histories.
While the manuscripts will undergo conservation at Hunan Provincial Museum, experts highlight their potential to reshape understanding of early Chinese philosophy and scientific thought. The repatriation coincides with increased global efforts to return culturally significant artifacts to their places of origin.
