Appeal for the UK to return the Admonitions of the Court Instructress, and other Chinese national treasures

　　　2022年10月到11月，英国大英博物馆展出1900年八国联军入侵中国所夺取的《女史箴图》等中国重要国宝文物，在此呼吁尽早归还，回归历史真相，促进中英友好，树立英国的良好形象。

　　　From October to November 2022, the British Museum in the UK exhibited lots of important Chinese national treasures, such as Admonitions of the Court Instructress, which was robbed by the eight-power Allied forces in the invasion of China in 1900.

　　　In order to promote China-UK friendship and help establish a better international image of Britain, now we are now advocating for UK returning these relics as soon as possible and being honest with the truth of history,

　　　《女史箴图》为我国东晋画家顾恺之（345年－406年）根据西晋诗人张华诗《女史箴》，绘于建康（江苏南京）。宽24.8厘米、长348.2厘米，栩栩如生，画面生动，充分表现了古代宫廷女性的贤良和高贵，是现存最早最珍贵的中国绘画，是唯一出现在中国中学教科书的流失国宝，也是影响力最大的单件流失国宝。“女史”是女官名，后来成为对知识妇女的尊称；“箴”是规劝、劝戒的意思。

　　The Admonitions of the Court Instructress，based on the Admonitions of the Instructress to the Court Ladies（Nv Shi Zhen）, a poem written by poet Zhang Hua in the Western Jin Dynasty, was painted in Jiankang (ancient Nanjing, Jiangsu Province, in south-east China) by Gu Kaizhi (345-406), a painter in the Eastern Jin Dynasty

　　　The painting, 24.8cm wide and 348.2cm long, is vivid and telling, fully displaying the virtue and nobility of ancient Chinese court women.

　　　And it is the earliest and most precious existing Chinese painting, the only one adopted as middle-school textbook illustration among the lost national treasures, and the single lost national treasure with the greatest influence. "Nv Shi" is a female official name, and it later became a respectful title for women with knowledge; while "Zhen" means admonition or exhortation.

　　　1900年，八国联军入侵北京，驻颐和园的英军第一孟加拉骑兵团的克劳伦斯·约翰逊上尉将《女史箴图》夺取。1903年，以25英镑卖给大英博物馆。据悉，大英博物馆中有中国文物23000多件，包括敦煌壁画、敦煌文书以及各种珍贵的瓷器、青铜器等，最为珍贵知名的就是《女史箴图》，堪称镇馆之宝。除此之外，在英国国家图书馆等处也有敦煌文书等珍贵文物。以非和平、非理性方式获取、展览中国等国文物，有损英国和大英博物馆的尊严。

Clarence Johnson, Captain of the British Army's 1st Bengal Cavalry Regiment, seized the painting at the Summer Palace during the Eight-Power invasion of Beijing in 1900 and sold it to the British Museum for ￡25. It is reported that there are more than 23,000 pieces of Chinese cultural relics in the British Museum, including Dunhuang frescoes and manuscripts , various precious porcelain and bronze wares. The most precious and well-known one is the Admonitions of the Court Instructress, which is the highlight of the collections. In addition, there are many DunHuang manuscripts and other valuable cultural relics collected in other places such as the British Library. We believe it will damage the dignity of UK and the British Museum, if they plunder and exhibit cultural relics from China and other countries in a non-peaceful and irrational manner.

　　　国际流失文物追索的基本依据，是联合国教科文组织1970年通过的《关于禁止和防止非法进出口文化财产和非法转让其所有权的方法的公约》。中国于1989年加入公约。

　　The Convention on the Means of Prohibiting and Preventing the Illicit Import, Export and Transfer of Ownership of Cultural Property, adopted by UNESCO in 1970, provides the basis for international restitution or return of lost cultural property, and China acceded to the Convention in 1989.

　　　联合国教科文组织1995年提出现代国际法归还文物的原则表明，任何因战争而被抢夺或丢失的文物都应归还，没有时间限制，得到国际社会的普遍接受。

The principle of restitution of cultural property in modern international law, proposed by UNESCO in 1995, states that any cultural property looted or lost as a result of war should be returned without a time limit, and the principle has been generally accepted by the international community.

　　　1997年，中国还加入了国际统一私法协会《关于被盗或者非法出口文物的公约》，保留对历史上被非法掠夺文物的追索权利。

　　　China also acceded to the Convention on Stolen or Illegally Exported Cultural Objects agreed upon by the International Institute for the Unification of Private Law (UNIDROIT) in 1997, and China has the rights of restituting the cultural relics illegally looted in the past.而今，本人发起追讨《女史箴图》等流失国宝文物行动，并非挑起民族仇恨，而是真心为了消除历史伤痛。无论是在《女史箴图》诞生地江苏南京、画者顾恺之的家乡江苏无锡，还是吉林德惠鳇鱼岛、女娲文化发源地、红山女神所在地、黑龙江女神岛，以及北京、香港、英国等地，得到各界人士的积极响应。

Now, I launch a campaign for UK returning the lost national treasures, such as the Admonitions of the Court Instructress. This campaign aims not to provoke ethnic hatred, but to eliminate historical pain. And people from all walks of life in many places around the world has been supporting this campaign, whether they are from China or UK.

　　　望英国有关各方能郑重考虑，于情于理于法，以崇尚的绅士风度，归还非法手段夺取的《女史箴图》等中国乃至外国国宝文物，也希望我国有关机构出面促成此事。

　　The UK government should seriously consider returning the Admonitions of the Court Instructress and other national properties illegally seized from China and other countries according to the relevant international laws and conventions. I also hope that relevant Chinese institutions will help facilitate this big issue.

　　　借用英国民歌，真心祝愿中英两国“友谊地久天长”！

　　　Quoting a British folk song, I sincerely wish China and the UK an "everlasting friendship"!

　　　离家122年的“中华女儿”——《女史箴图》，渴望回家！！！

　　　After 122 years away from home, the "Daughter of China" -- the Admonitions of the Court Instructress, is eager to go home!!

　　　 王锦思，中华流失国宝文物回归促进会（筹）发起人，中国收藏家协会分会副会长、中国第二次世界大战史研究会会员、吉林德惠鳇鱼岛人、九一八全国鸣警报倡议人，追讨流失日本皇宫的唐鸿胪井刻石、靖国神社的辽宁石狮，流失俄罗斯的珲春铜柱、吉林石狮，流失美国的昭陵二骏、皇帝礼佛图等国宝文物。真诚希望各界积极支持！微信：jinbiaotang4979，信箱wjinsi@sina.com

Wang Jinsi, an initiator of Organizing Committee of Chinese Lost National treasures Return Promotion Association, a vice president of branch of China Association of Collectors, member of the Chinese Society for the Study of History of World War II, the advocate of the 918 national siren was born on HuangYu island in Dehui, northeast China’s Jilin Province, and has required the restitution of the Hong Lujing Petroglyph from the Tang Dynasty which was in Japanese Imperial Palace, the Liaoning Stonework Puma in Yasukuni Shrine, the Hunchun copper pillar and the Jilin Stonework Puma in Russia, the Zhao Mausoleum Erjun and the Emperor's homage to Buddha in the United States and so on. I sincerely hope to receive active support from all sectors!

Please feel free to contact me by Wechat or email.

Wechat, jinbiaotang4979

Email, wjinsi@sina.com

　　　

　　　其他人士签名陆续中

　　　Other signatures are coming in