Chinese host maintains positive attitude despite theft of terracotta warrior's thumb

The theft of a terracotta warrior’s thumb recently caught attention while warrior statues were on display at the Franklin Institute museum in the US city of Philadelphia, according to the Science and Technology Daily.

National treasures, such as the bronze chariot unearthed from the Qinshihuang Mausoleum or the world renowned painting Mona Lisa from the Louvre, are not allowed to leave the country, noted the Shaanxi Cultural Heritage Promotion Center, the exhibition’s Chinese host.

However, warrior statues are movable cultural relics according to relevant State regulations, and can be exhibited in safe and controllable places. No more than 10 statues are allowed to go abroad for a single event, said an expert from the center.

The "Terracotta Warriors of the First Emperor” exhibition launched in October 2017 has been an important cultural exchange activity between China and the US in recent years, said a person in charge from the center.

Overseas exhibition of Chinese cultural relics not only helps promote Chinese culture; it also enhances exchanges with other countries, said the expert. Such acts of sabotage make people indignant but it’s not necessary to “give up eating for fear of choking” as long as those exhibits are equipped with suitable guards and protections.

The universal practice suggests exhibiting the original relics instead of replicas, the expert noted. He believed that more art pieces will be exhibited as visitors’ quality is increasingly improved, and exhibiting cultural relics without glass frames is better when possible.

The stolen thumb has been retrieved and an emergency working group was sent to properly handle the issue, said the center. The Franklin Institute has reportedly admitted to security flaws and apologized and organizers are instructed to learn a lesson from this case and safeguard the integrity of exhibits on loan, according to the center.

The broken warrior statue is still on show with a left thumb snapped off. In addition to the Philadelphia exhibition, there have been many showings of terracotta warriors abroad, including an ongoing exhibition at the World Museum in Liverpool, UK from Feb 9 to Oct 28.