List of Chinese cultural relics forbidden to be exhibited abroad
The list of Chinese cultural relics forbidden to be exhibited abroad comprises a list of antiquities and archaeological artifacts held by various museums and other institutions in the People's Republic of China, which the Chinese government has officially prohibited, since 2003, from being taken abroad for exhibition. Many of the relics on the list symbolize the breakthrough of archaeological discoveries that were made in China since the mid-20th century, when archaeology as a modern science began to take root in China. These items are among the most important excavated treasures in China, and have a particular historical, cultural or artistic significance.
In June 2012, the State Administration of Cultural Heritage announced the second batch of 37 cultural relics forbidden to be exhibited abroad, covering paintings and works of calligraphy. In August 2013, a third batch of 94 items were announced, most of which are treasures excavated at archaeological sites.
Government regulations prohibiting exhibition abroad
According to Article 49 of the Regulations for the Implementation of the Law of the People's Republic of China on Protection of Cultural Relics promulgated on 18 May 2003:
The only existing or fragile relics among the grade-one relics are prohibited from being taken out of the country for exhibition. The catalogue of cultural relics prohibited from being taken out of the country for exhibition shall be made public on a regular basis by the competent cultural relics administrative department of the State Council.
A first list of sixty-four cultural relics that are forbidden to be exhibited abroad was published by the State Administration of Cultural Heritage on 19 January 2002.
In addition to the list of items explicitly prohibited from being exhibited abroad, cultural relics that fall within one of the following five categories are also prohibited from being exhibited outside of China:
- ancient human remains
- the main object of reverence at a place of religious observation
- first-grade cultural relics that are unique and easily damaged
- objects listed in the catalogue of cultural relics that are prohibited from being exhibited abroad
- cultural relics that are not suitable to be exhibited abroad because of their state of preservation
First batch of items prohibited from being exhibited abroad
In 2002, the State Administration of Cultural Heritage announced its first list of 64 first-grade cultural relics that are forbidden to be taken out of mainland China for exhibition.| Name | Period | Where found | When found | Current location | Image |
| Coloured pottery pot depicting a stork, a fish, and a stone axe | Neolithic | 1978 | National Museum of China, Beijing | ||
| Pottery ding vessel in the form of an eagle, from the Yangshao culture | Neolithic | 1958 | National Museum of China, Beijing | ||
| Houmuwu ding | Shang Dynasty | 1939 | National Museum of China, Beijing | ||
| Li gui, a bronze wine cup with an inscription commemorating King Wu of Zhou's defeat of the Shang Dynasty | Western Zhou | 1976 | National Museum of China, Beijing | ||
| Da Yu ding, a bronze ding cauldron cast by Yu, with an inscription dated the 23rd year of the reign of King Kang of Zhou | Western Zhou | National Museum of China, Beijing | |||
| Guoji Zibai pan, a bronze trough with an inscription commemorating the defeat of Xianyun people by Duke Xuan of Guo in the 12th year of the reign of King Xuan of Zhou | Western Zhou | National Museum of China, Beijing | |||
| Four phoenix crowns from the tomb of the Wanli Emperor | Ming Dynasty | 1957 | National Museum of China, Beijing | ||
| Ivory cup inlaid with turquoise, from the tomb of Fu Hao | Shang Dynasty | 1976 | Chinese Academy of Social Sciences Institute of Archaeology | ||
| Jin Hou Su zhong, a set of 16 ceremonial bronze bianzhong bells from the tomb of Marquis Xian of Jin | Western Zhou | Shanghai Museum | |||
| Da Ke ding, a bronze ding cauldron cast by Ke during the reign of King Xiao of Zhou | Western Zhou | 1890 | Shanghai Museum | ||
| Taibao ding, a bronze ding cauldron cast by the Duke of Shao during the reign of King Cheng of Zhou | Western Zhou | Tianjin Museum | |||
| Red lacquered bowl from the Hemudu culture | Neolithic | 1977 | Zhejiang Provincial Museum, Hangzhou | ||
| Pottery stove from the Hemudu culture | Neolithic | 1977 | Zhejiang Provincial Museum, Hangzhou | ||
| Jade cong from the Liangzhu culture | Neolithic | 1986 | Zhejiang Institute of Archaeology | ||
| Crystal glass | Warring States period | 1990 | Zhejiang Institute of Archaeology | ||
| Bronze stand for ceremonial vessels from the tomb of the son of King Zhuang of Chu | Spring and Autumn period | 1978 | Henan Museum, Zhengzhou | ||
| Pair of square bronze jars from the tomb of the Duke of Zheng | Spring and Autumn period | 1923 | Palace Museum, Beijing Henan Museum, Zhengzhou | ||
| Rectangular bronze mirror from the tomb of the Prince of Qi | Western Han | 1980 | Zibo Museum | ||
| Bronze ding vessel from the tomb of the King of Chu | Warring States period | 1933 | Anhui Provincial Museum, Hefei | ||
| Lacquered wooden platform shoes from the tomb of Zhu Ran | Three Kingdoms | 1984 | Zhu Ran Family Cemetery Museum | ||
| Lacquered picture plate from the tomb of Zhu Ran | Three Kingdoms | 1984 | Zhu Ran Family Cemetery Museum | ||
| Painted lacquer wooden screen depicting scenes of filial sons and virtuous women in Chinese history, from the tomb of Sima Jinlong | Northern Wei | 1965 | Datong Museum | ||
| Mural depicting horse riders from the tomb of Lou Rui | Northern Qi | 1979 | Shanxi Institute of Archaeology | ||
| Memorial stone engraved with illustrations of Buddhist Stories | Tang Dynasty | Shanxi Museum, Taiyuan | |||
| Stone sculpture of a Daoist deity | Tang Dynasty | Shanxi Museum, Taiyuan | |||
| Jade ceremonial dagger-axe | Shang Dynasty | 1974 | Hubei Provincial Museum, Wuhan | ||
| Bianzhong of Marquis Yi of Zeng | Warring States period | 1978 | Hubei Provincial Museum, Wuhan | ||
| Carved and lacquered wooden outer coffin from the tomb of Marquis Yi of Zeng | Warring States period | 1978 | Hubei Provincial Museum, Wuhan | ||
| Pair of intricately decorated bronze food and wine vessels cast using the lost-wax process from the tomb of Marquis Yi of Zeng | Warring States period | 1978 | Hubei Provincial Museum, Wuhan | ||
| Wooden screen with carved images of phoenixes and deer, decorated with polychromatic lacquer | Warring States period | 1965 | Hubei Provincial Museum, Wuhan | ||
| Clay sculpture of the head of a goddess, inlaid with jade eyes, from the Hongshan culture temple at Niuheliang | Neolithic | 1983 | Liaoning Institute of Archaeology | ||
| Duck-shaped glass object | Northern Yan | 1965 | Liaoning Province Museum, Shenyang | ||
| 4 metre tall bronze tree with a dragon curling up the trunk, and leaves, fruit and birds on the branches | Shang Dynasty | 1986 | Sichuan Institute of Archaeology | ||
| Ceremonial jade object with engraved drawings of stylized human figures | Shang Dynasty | 1986 | Sichuan Institute of Archaeology | ||
| 2 metre tall bronze tree with coins on its branches and a phoenix perched at the top | Eastern Han | 1990 | Mianyang Museum | ||
| Gansu Flying Horse | Eastern Han | 1969 | Gansu Provincial Museum, Lanzhou | ||
| The Qin bronze chariots, from the Mausoleum of the First Qin Emperor | Qin Dynasty | 1980 | Museum of the Terracotta Warriors and Horses of Qin Shihuang, Lintong | ||
| Shi Qiang pan | Western Zhou | 1967 | Baoji Bronzeware Museum | ||
| Large bronze ding vessel with three handles and ox-head decoration | Western Zhou | 1979 | Chunhua Museum | ||
| Bronze He zun, with an inscription recording the construction of the capital at Luoyang by King Cheng of Zhou | Western Zhou | 1963 | Baoji Bronzeware Museum | ||
| Stone sculptures from the tomb of Huo Qubing at the mausoleum of Emperor Wu of Han at Maoling | Western Han | Maoling Museum, Xianyang | |||
| Nestorian Stele — a stele recording the introduction of Christianity into China in 635 | Tang Dynasty | Shaanxi | 1623 | Xi'an Beilin Museum, Xi'an | |
| Gilt silver jug imitating the shape of a leather water bottle, with a design of prancing horses Hejia Village hoard | Tang Dynasty | 1970 | Shaanxi History Museum, Xi'an | ||
| Zoomorphic drinking horn made from agate Hejia Village hoard | Tang Dynasty | 1970 | Shaanxi History Museum, Xi'an | ||
| Bronze bell cast in 711, weighing 6,500 kg, originally from the bell tower at the Tang capital Chang'an | Tang Dynasty | Xi'an Beilin Museum, Xi'an | |||
| Gilt and silvered monk's staff donated to Famen Temple by Emperor Yizong of Tang in 873 | Tang Dynasty | 1987 | Famen Temple Museum, Fufeng | ||
| Set of eight nested relic boxes containing a relic supposed to be a finger bone from Śākyamuni Buddha, from Famen Temple | Tang Dynasty | 1987 | Famen Temple Museum, Fufeng | ||
| Bronze model pagoda from Famen Temple | Tang Dynasty | 1987 | Famen Temple Museum, Fufeng | ||
| "Five stars rise in the East" arm protector | Eastern Han to Jin | 1995 | Xinjiang Institute of Archaeology | ||
| Bronze table frame inlaid with gold and silver, decorated with figures of four dragons and four phoenixes | Warring States period | 1974 | Hebei Institute of Cultural Relics | ||
| Bronze ding vessel with iron feet from the tomb of the King of Zhongshan | Warring States period | 1977 | Hebei Institute of Cultural Relics | ||
| Jade burial suit from the tomb of Liu Sheng, Prince of Zhongshan | Western Han | 1968 | Hebei Provincial Museum, Shijiazhuang | ||
| Gilt bronze lamp in the shape of a serving girl, from the tomb of Lady Dou Wan | Western Han | 1968 | Hebei Provincial Museum, Shijiazhuang | ||
| Five bronze pieces from an otherwise decayed folding screen, from the tomb of the King of Nanyue | Western Han | 1983 | Museum of the Mausoleum of the Nanyue King, Guangzhou | ||
| Horn-shaped jade cup from the tomb of the King of Nanyue | Western Han | 1983 | Museum of the Mausoleum of the Nanyue King, Guangzhou | ||
| Silk painting depicting a man riding a dragon | Warring States period | 1949 | Hunan Provincial Museum, Changsha | ||
| Silk painting depicting a man with a dragon and a phoenix | Warring States period | 1949 | Hunan Provincial Museum, Changsha | ||
| Plain gauze robe from the tomb of the Marquis of Dai at Mawangdui | Western Han | 1972 | Hunan Provincial Museum, Changsha | ||
| Wooden outer coffin from the tomb of the Marquis of Dai at Mawangdui | Western Han | 1972 | Hunan Provincial Museum, Changsha | ||
| T-shaped silk funeral banner from the tomb of the Marquis of Dai at Mawangdui | Western Han | 1972 | Hunan Provincial Museum, Changsha | ||
| Brocade banner depicting the Sun God and hunting scenes | Northern Dynasties | 1983 | Qinghai Institute of Archaeology | ||
| Nine volumes of Buddhist texts written in the Tangut language that were printed using wooden movable type, from Baisigou Square Pagoda | Western Xia | 1991 | Ningxia Institute of Archaeology | ||
| Red-glazed pottery model of a granary | Yuan Dynasty | 1974 | Jiangxi Provincial Museum, Nanchang | ||
| Picture of the Seven Sages of the Bamboo Grove composed from more than 300 moulded bricks | Southern Dynasties | 1960 | Nanjing Museum |