Cultural relics seized by customs exhibited in Sichuan Museum

CHENGDU -- An exhibition of 251 cultural relics seized by the customs of Chengdu, capital of southwest China's Sichuan province, was launched in the Sichuan Museum on Tuesday.

The exhibition was jointly organized by the Chengdu Customs and the provincial cultural relics bureau. These cultural relics, including copper Buddha statues, Thangka, calligraphy and painting, ceramics and ancient coins, were selected from over 700 pieces of cultural relics that had been seized by Chengdu Customs and then turned over to the museum in recent years.

These cultural relics in various kinds from different dynasties in ancient China have great historical, scientific and artistic value.

Yang Long, an official with the Chengdu Customs, said that these cultural relics were seized from various smuggling cases by the customs. Some of them were smuggled in passengers' luggage and personal belongings, and some were smuggled by express mail. With the development of the Internet, online trading has gradually become a new channel for the smuggling of cultural relics, according to Yang.

In recent years, Chengdu Customs has made full use of scientific and technological means to establish an intensive, information-based and intelligent supervision mode. Through big data analysis, CT machines, intelligent sorting lines and other technical methods, Chengdu Customs has continuously improved its combat capability against smuggling.

The exhibition will last until March 29.