China News Service, Beijing, August 18th, title: Zhang Rong talks about the return of the head of the Buddha: To be a dream chaser in the pursuit of cultural relics
China News Agency reporter Ma Xiuxiu, Wen Mengxin, let Baokui Zhao Anyuan
"All cultural relics people are actually dream-catchers. I believe everyone is willing to do something like this."
A few days ago, the special exhibition "Return of National Treasure on Fuxing Road" was launched at the Tianlongshan Grottoes Museum in Taiyuan, Shanxi.
The head of the Buddha in Tianlongshan Grottoes, which has been lost overseas for nearly a hundred years, will eventually return to his homeland.
Talking about the Buddha's donation, Zhang Rong, an overseas Chinese living in Japan, made the above statement in an exclusive interview with a reporter from China News Agency in Japan recently.
On September 14, 2020, the State Administration of Cultural Heritage of China discovered that a lot of the Japanese Toying International Auction Co., Ltd. planned to auction in Tokyo was suspected to be the lost Buddha head in the Tianlongshan Grottoes. The State Administration of Cultural Heritage immediately contacted Zhang Rong, the chairman of the auction house, Encourage and facilitate the return of cultural relics.
Subsequently, Zhang Rong negotiated with the Japanese cultural relic holders to complete the purchase, and donated it to the Chinese government free of charge.
On February 11, 2021, Lunar New Year's Eve, the Buddha of Tianlongshan Grottoes made its debut on CCTV Spring Festival Gala.
This national treasure is the 100th lost cultural relic to return to the motherland in 2020.
Zhang Rong said that he was very happy and touched that the incident attracted the attention of the Spring Festival Gala.
"All cultural relics people are actually dream-catchers. I believe everyone is willing to do something like this."
Zhang Rong was born in Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province, and has lived in Japan for more than 20 years.
He originally studied medicine, but after he went to Japan, he “abandoned medicine and pursued art”.
For him, this was a very painful choice, but he was relieved to be able to bring back many cultural relics for the motherland.
From accidental to "of course", Zhang Rong has now facilitated the return of more than 100 cultural relics, including national first-class, second-class, and third-class cultural relics, filling many gaps in the collection of China's cultural museum.
"Any expert will be moved when he sees a national treasure." Zhang Rong said that he is no exception.
He believes that it is better to hand over the national treasure to the country than to stay in the people. "If you stay in the people, you may not know where to go; but if you give it to the country, you will be able to see it someday."
In the era of poverty and weakness, China has lost a large number of cultural relics overseas, and the work of recovering the lost cultural relics in China has been ongoing.
Zhang Rong said frankly that, because of his character, he will stick to what he decides.
Boosting the return of cultural relics is a long process and requires the joint cooperation and joint efforts of overseas Chinese and Chinese embassies and consulates abroad.
Cultural relics are the best carriers of Chinese culture.
In Zhang Rong's view, behind the recovery of cultural relics is a manifestation of the growing strength of the motherland, a manifestation of the centripetal force and cohesion of the Chinese nation. Every overseas Chinese overseas will be proud of this.
"The Chinese nation is the root, and the descendants of Yan and Huang must remember this root."
"I am not the first (donor), and I will not be the last." Zhang Rong said that he hopes that he will play a role in connecting the past and the future and drive more people to promote the return of cultural relics.
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