A collection of Chinese antiques, including three 18th-century bronze sculptures looted from China by British and French troops some 140 years ago, went on display in Taipei yesterday.
The exhibition -- the first of its kind ever held outside China -- was organized by an art museum belonging to a Chinese conglomerate to promote cultural exchanges, said Chen Hongsheng, the museum's vice president.
PHOTO: AP
At the exhibition hall, bronze sculptures of tiger, monkey and ox heads were displayed in a glass cabinet next to a painting of the opulent gardens of Yuan Ming Yuan (
In 1860, during the second Opium War, British and French troops occupied the area, looted its treasures and set fire to the palaces.
The bronze heads were part of a water clock featuring the 12 animals of the Chinese zodiac. The China Poly Group (保利博物館), a state-owned conglomerate, bought them for about US$4 million from auctions held by Sotheby's and Christie's in Hong Kong last year.
Chen said Chinese officials also hope to recover another four of the 12 animals originally belonging to the water clock: a horse head said to be in Taiwan; a boar's head said to be in the US and the heads of a rat and a rabbit held by a French collector.
The whereabouts of the others is unknown, he said.
Following the exhibition here, which is to last three months, the sculptures, together with bronze utensils and stone Buddha statues, will be displayed in Japan, France and Greece next year, he said.
INSURRECTION: The NSB said it found evidence the CCP was seeking snipers in Taiwan to target members of the military and foreign organizations in the event of an invasion The number of Chinese spies prosecuted in Taiwan has grown threefold over a four-year period, the National Security Bureau (NSB) said in a report released yesterday. In 2021 and 2022, 16 and 10 spies were prosecuted respectively, but that number grew to 64 last year, it said, adding that the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) was working with gangs in Taiwan to develop a network of armed spies. Spies in Taiwan have on behalf of the CCP used a variety of channels and methods to infiltrate all sectors of the country, and recruited Taiwanese to cooperate in developing organizations and obtaining sensitive information
BREAKTHROUGH: The US is making chips on par in yield and quality with Taiwan, despite people saying that it could not happen, the official said Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC, 台積電) has begun producing advanced 4-nanometer (nm) chips for US customers in Arizona, US Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo said, a milestone in the semiconductor efforts of the administration of US President Joe Biden. In November last year, the commerce department finalized a US$6.6 billion grant to TSMC’s US unit for semiconductor production in Phoenix, Arizona. “For the first time ever in our country’s history, we are making leading edge 4-nanometer chips on American soil, American workers — on par in yield and quality with Taiwan,” Raimondo said, adding that production had begun in recent
Seven hundred and sixty-four foreigners were arrested last year for acting as money mules for criminals, with many entering Taiwan on a tourist visa for all-expenses-paid trips, the Criminal Investigation Bureau (CIB) said on Saturday. Although from Jan. 1 to Dec. 26 last year, 26,478 people were arrested for working as money mules, the bureau said it was particularly concerned about those entering the country as tourists or migrant workers who help criminals and scammers pick up or transfer illegally obtained money. In a report, officials divided the money mules into two groups, the first of which are foreigners, mainly from Malaysia
SILICON VALLEY HUB: The office would showcase Taiwan’s strengths in semiconductors and artificial intelligence, and help Taiwanese start-ups connect with global opportunities Taiwan has established an office in Palo Alto, one of the principal cities of Silicon Valley in California, aimed at helping Taiwanese technology start-ups gain global visibility, the National Development Council said yesterday. The “Startup Island Taiwan Silicon Valley hub” at No. 299 California Avenue is focused on “supporting start-ups and innovators by providing professional consulting, co-working spaces, and community platforms,” the council said in a post on its Web site. The office is the second overseas start-up hub established by the council, after a similar site was set up in Tokyo in September last year. Representatives from Taiwanese start-ups, local businesses and
RSS