--- description: Breaking news and analysis from time.com. Politics, world news, photos, video, tech reviews, health, science, and entertainment news. title: Ancient silk manuscript at long last back in China image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt4b7f4207b99c9a62/6a4b523ea09d9f1c495e91f1/0415ACEF69FB4C89BB1087A4060A517D.jpg?branch=production&width=3840&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 --- # Ancient silk manuscript at long last back in China  _This content was paid for and prepared by China Daily, an official publication of the People's Republic of China. The TIME editorial and advertising departments were not involved in the creation of this content._ Workers unpack a box containing the remnants of an ancient Chinese silk manuscript at Beijing Capital International Airport on May 18 before delivering them to the National Administration of Cultural Heritage. FU TIAN/CHINA NEWS SERVICE By ZHAO HUANXIN and XU LIN Remnants of an ancient Chinese silk manuscript, lost long ago, finally touched down at Beijing Capital International Airport on May 18, ending nearly 80 years of overseas wandering. The flight to Beijing followed a handover ceremony in the United States on May 16 at the Chinese embassy in Washington, D.C. The Smithsonian’s National Museum of Asian Art returned the remnants of the Zidanku Silk Manuscript, estimated to be more than 2,300 years old, from its collection and formally transferred them to China’s National Cultural Heritage Administration. As the earliest Chinese silk texts discovered to date, and the only known ones from the Warring States Period (475-221 B.C.) unearthed in China, the manuscript was named after the Zidanku area of Changsha, Hunan province, from where it was stolen by grave robbers in 1942\. It was then illegally taken to the U.S. in 1946. The parts of the three-volume manuscript that have been returned to China are Wuxing Ling and Gongshou Zhan, known by scholars as Volumes II and III, respectively. They are about taboos and auspicious practices in rituals and military actions. Volume I of the manuscript has yet to be returned to China. The Smithsonian said that this volume is privately owned, but the National Cultural Heritage Administration said it will continue to work for its return. “With more than 900 characters and rich in myth and numerology, the manuscript reflects the depth and endurance of Chinese civilization, having great significance in studying ancient Chinese characters, literature and thinking,” said Xie Feng, the Chinese ambassador to the U.S., during the transfer ceremony at the embassy. Xie added that the two volumes’ return “is a cultural milestone and a testament to China-U.S. cooperation in heritage preservation, bringing new vitality to people-to-people exchange and friendship.” The successful return of the volumes indicated that through dialogue and cooperation based on equality, mutual respect and benefit, the two countries can deliver important and tangible results that are good for both sides and beyond, Xie added. The envoy said that China and the U.S. have made “notable” progress in heritage cooperation, with around 600 artifacts sent back to China — including more than 40 items since the start of this year. “These returns are vivid examples of friendship and international collaboration to reclaim and protect humanity’s shared legacy,” he said. Li Ling, a veteran archaeologist from Peking University who has studied the Zidanku manuscript for over 40 years, described the relics as China’s equivalent of the Dead Sea Scrolls, a collection of ancient, mostly Hebrew manuscripts first found in 1947. Just as the Dead Sea Scrolls are crucial for understanding Western and Christian cultures, the Zidanku manuscript offers insights into the ancient Chinese world of occultism, according to Li. The Smithsonian’s National Museum of Asian Art said the transfer of the unique manuscript is an “important step in international cooperation.” Chase F. Robinson, director of the Asian art museum, said that since its inception, the museum has partnered with Chinese cultural institutions to share knowledge and expand the study and understanding of Chinese art history. “This transfer reflects a carefully considered decision, grounded in our focus on sound stewardship, and the belief that these materials belong in dialogue with their cultural and archaeological context,” he said. The returned manuscript will make its public debut in July at the National Museum of China as part of an exhibition on repatriated cultural relics. _Wang Kaihao in Beijing contributed to this story._ Ancient silk manuscript at long last back in China ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/branded-content/china-daily/ancient-silk-manuscript-at-long-last-back-in-china/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/branded-content/china-daily/ancient-silk-manuscript-at-long-last-back-in-china/"},"headline":"Ancient silk manuscript at long last back in China","datePublished":"2026-06-18T14:28:31.009Z","dateModified":"2026-06-09T07:28:08.125Z","description":"","url":"https://time.com/branded-content/china-daily/ancient-silk-manuscript-at-long-last-back-in-china/","keywords":[],"thumbnailUrl":"","author":[],"articleSection":"","image":[],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Time","url":"https://time.com/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://time.com/images/logo.png","width":528,"height":156},"foundingDate":"March 3, 1923","sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/time","https://www.instagram.com/time/?hl=en","https://twitter.com/time","https://www.pinterest.com/timemagazine"]}},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/branded-content/china-daily/ancient-silk-manuscript-at-long-last-back-in-china/","name":"Ancient silk manuscript at long last back in China"}}]}] ```