In a milestone for East Asian cultural diplomacy, the National Museum of Korea has formally returned a rare 13th-century gilt-bronze Buddha statue to the National Museum of China. The artifact, which dates back to the late Goryeo period, was originally housed in a temple in Shanxi Province before being removed during the early 20th century. The return follows three years of joint research verifying its provenance and liturgical history.
The statue is lauded for its exquisite craftsmanship and the rare preservation of its interior 'shasari' (sacred relics), which were found intact during a 2025 scanning project. Officials stated that this repatriation serves as a model for multilateral heritage cooperation in the region, emphasizing the importance of returning sacred objects to their original spiritual and architectural contexts.