Taiwan-based Buddhist organization donates 30 ancient statues lost overseas

The United Association of Humanistic Buddhism, Chunhua, a Taiwan-based Buddhist organization, donated 30 ancient statues to the National Cultural Heritage Administration at a ceremony held in Beijing.

The ancient statues had been lost overseas and found by collectors from Taiwan. The oldest of them dates back to the Song Dynasty (960-1279), according to the association.

Taiwan compatriots have made great efforts to preserve Chinese cultural heritage and promote the Chinese culture, said Song Tao, head of both the Taiwan Work Office of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council, at the ceremony.

The glorious Chinese culture stands as the origin, the pride, the treasure and the soul shared by people on both sides of the Taiwan Strait, he said, calling on them to jointly uphold the overall interests of the Chinese nation.

The guests from Taiwan present at the ceremony included Venerable Hsin Bao, who is the head abbot of Fo Guang Shan and chair of the association.

They expressed the hope that the return of these statues would bring a message of peace and harmony across the Strait, and that people on both sides would engage in more exchanges, build up mutual trust and goodwill, and promote the Chinese culture together.