2,300-yr-old silk manuscripts finally return to China after 79 years in US

The silk manuscripts, containing more than 900 Chinese characters, are the earliest examples of silk text discovered to date and the oldest classical Chinese book

Two volumes of the 2,300-year-old Zidanku Silk Manuscripts arrived in Beijing from the United States in the early hours of Sunday, marking the end of a 79-year journey abroad, reported The South China Morning Post.

 

Volumes II and III of the ancient silk texts, which date back to around 300 BC during China’s Warring States Period, were returned by the National Museum of Asian Art, part of the Smithsonian Institution. They are considered the oldest known silk books discovered in China and are over a century older than the Dead Sea Scrolls.

 

The manuscripts were unearthed in 1942 from a tomb in Zidanku, Changsha, in central China. They were first acquired by a Chinese collector and later smuggled out of the country in 1946 by American collector John Hadley Cox. The fragments were gifted to the Smithsonian in 1992.

 

 

Their repatriation followed diplomatic negotiations led by the National Cultural Heritage Administration of China. Talks began after the Smithsonian adopted a new ethical returns policy in 2022, committing to return items that would not meet present-day acquisition standards. The agreement was signed on May 10, with a transfer ceremony held Friday at the Chinese embassy in Washington. 

 

Volume I of the three-volume set remains with the privately held Arthur M Sackler Foundation. Chinese state broadcaster CCTV reported that efforts are ongoing to facilitate its return.

 

China’s ambassador to the US, Xie Feng, said the manuscripts’ return represents a significant moment in China-US cultural cooperation. “The return of the Zidanku manuscripts reflects a national revival, as lost treasures of Chinese civilisation make their way home,” he said.

 

Cultural relics reflect the splendor of civilization, preserve the legacy of history, and uphold the spirit of the nation. Each artifact carries the spirit and lineage of a nation, touching the hearts of all Chinese people. I’m so delighted to witness the return of the Zidanku… pic.twitter.com/p9WFKFbouy

— Xie Feng 谢锋 (@AmbXieFeng) May 17, 2025

 

According to Xie, around 600 artefacts have been returned to China from the US, including more than 40 this year.

Experts believe the silk manuscripts contain ritual or divinatory texts, possibly linked to mythical figures such as Fuxi and Nuwa. They are seen as key sources for the study of early Chinese religion, cosmology, and intellectual history.

 

Li Ling, professor in the Chinese department at Peking University, told CCTV that the Zidanku manuscripts are culturally comparable to the Dead Sea Scrolls. “They speak to our ancient knowledge systems, our understanding of the cosmos, and the details of everyday life,” he said.

 

The two returned volumes will go on public display in July at the National Museum of China in Beijing.