By Yu Nan (chinadaily.com.cn)
Updated: 2006-03-13 11:50

An action to recover lost Chinese treasures from abroad will begin during the May Day holidays, and the first destination will be Japan.

The action is sponsored by the Chinese Fund for Recovery of Overseas Relics, the first non-governmental commonwealth organization devoted for the recovery of lost relics.

The fund has been recruiting domestic cultural relics collectors and enthusiasts to compose a group to visit Tokyo, Osaka and Kyoto. Relic specialists will accompany them.

The fund, established in October 2002, launched the International Action for the Recovery of Lost Treasures in July 2003, which has been playing an important role in the recovery of lost relics.

In addition to attending the Heiwajima national curio exhibition near Tokyo from May 3-5, the group has arranged to visit Chinese treasures collected by other museums and historical sites. Tokyo National Museum is currently holding an exhibition of Chinese cultural relics, most of which are national treasures from Japanese museums.

Overseas Chinese relics have, at times, been sold at higher prices during exhibitions than at international relics markets.

"Therefore, it would more economical and convenient to take them back through the market system," Niu Xianfeng, a member of the Chinese Fund for Recovery of Overseas Relics, said.

According to the Chinese Fund for Recovery of Overseas Relics, over 10 million Chinese cultural relics are estimated to be lost, mostly among private citizens throughout the world.