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Historically rich Shanxi hit by thefts of relics
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SHANXI Province, known for its rich cultural relics and ancient architecture, has suffered many cases of theft and looting in recent years, according to a recent China Central Television (CCTV) report.
The report reveals that transactions involved thousands of cultural relic items, such as stone carvings and Chinese guardian lions. Many of them were stolen from historic architecture that are listed among the important cultural relic sites under state-level protection.
The latest case saw precious relic items were sold last month in the local black market, and the dealers claimed to earn quick profits that exceeded 10 million yuan (US$1.6 million).
Some ancient buildings such as Tianxian and Guandi temples have also been severely damaged with collapsed walls and overgrown grass and weeds in the courtyard.
The theft and looting run specially rampant in Qianbao Village in the city of Changzhi. Local villagers told CCTV reporters that the Chinese guardian lions of the Tianxian Temple, more than 200 years old, are exquisitely carved. Niu Yanping, former head of Qianbao Village, says the stone lions were stolen for the first time in 1999 but were later found by villagers.
“Local residents voluntarily took turns guarding the sites,” Niu says. “However, thieves, motivated by profits of the illegal trade, still came from time to time. In 2011, the Chinese guardian lions were stolen again.”
Generations of local villagers hold deep affection for the historical sites and are sad to find some of them falling into ruins. The inscribed board of Tianxian Temple is damaged and hung obliquely. Many roof tiles have cracked, broken or disappeared.
“Qianbao Village is so poor that it cannot spare any funds for the renovation of these historical buildings,” Niu says. “Without good arrangements or schemes for protection, theft of cultural relics runs rampant.”
In addition to the items at the cultural sites, thieves also targeted wood and stone carvings attached to the time-honored buildings.
CCTV reporters paid an unannounced visit to a black market in the suburb of Linfen City, located in an old, hard-to-find building. There, thousands of cultural relic items were displayed in a courtyard. Buyers can choose among the architectural items, mostly wood and stone carvings from Ming (1368-1644) and Qing (1644-1911) dynasties. An old wooden window costs about 3,000 yuan and a pair of stone lions cost 60,000 yuan.
In the courtyard there were also a large number of old stone slabs covered with mud.
“They are Qin tiles, from the Qin Dynasty (221-206 BC),” the vendor said, explaining that they were basically found in ancient tombs.
In another room, a variety of wooden windows and door planks were displayed, from Yuan (1271-1368) to Qing dynasties. “Each costs 2,000-3,000 yuan,” he said. “The price has increased a lot, from the previous 300-400 yuan, because of the growing popularity in antiques.”
The vendor told a CCTV reporter disguised as a buyer that it is very safe to buy the items because each comes with written proof from the local police station that it is not a stolen piece.
He added that his company can offer one-stop services, from purchasing to processing, transportation and installation. “We will try our best to meet your needs, whether an ancient house or an antique structural part, as long as you pay the money.”
“With the increasing number of buyers and collectors, the items have great potential to increase in value,” the vendor said. “Some are bought for the construction or renovation of ancient-style street malls and cultural plazas in other regions of China.”
Because of the serious situation, the Shanxi provincial government has recently issued instructions to reinforce the protection of local cultural relics and historical sites. But some experts say the loss is irreparable.
The province, known for having the most preserved ancient architecture in China, has some 28,000 old buildings consisting of temples, ancient opera stages and civilian residences from the Tang (AD 618-907) through Qing dynasties. But today about 80 percent of them have lost some of their architectural components. Damage has also been done to ancient wall paintings.
Additionally, some local villages have put ancient opera stages and other buildings up for sale. Some ancient structures have been sold to private culture parks and art museums.
Chai Zejun, former chief engineer of the Shanxi Administration of Culture Heritage, attributes the theft and looting to lax supervision by the local government and the lack of a professional team to protect ancient Chinese architecture.
“For years, local government officials have not attached enough attention to the protection of the relics,” the 80-year-old Chai says. “They have failed to prevent the situation from worsening. Besides, without relevant training, very few young people of today can do the renovation work.”
He has urged the local government to establish a school to provide professional training on the maintenance of old buildings and structures.
“Otherwise we will lose the crafts and techniques in the near future,” Chai says. “Our young people will not even know how to drive a nail.”
Experts note that many cultural relics have never been registered by the government. They also say that with some regions in China keen to promote tourism with ancient relics and historic places, the lucrative but illegal transactions may heat up further.
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