Officers of Customs Office in Chancheng of Fuoshan Customs House (affiliated to Guangzhou Customs District) said they had found some cultural artifacts whose export are restricted or forbidden by the State, when exercising control over an export container a few days ago. 28 pieces ancient Thangka were among the cultural artifacts seized.

Customs officers said that day when inspecting some goods declared as “zippers” in a container, they noticed some big wooden boxes among the disorderly-placed paper boxes with zippers inside. Upon opening those wooden boxes, Customs officers found a large quantity of utensils, Buddhist figures and small statues. Especially, they detected several dozens of finely-made scroll paintings with images of Buddha on them in one of the boxes.

Later, the 28 scroll paintings found were confirmed as Tibetan ancient Thangka whose export is forbidden by the State. Another 8 items seized in the container were confirmed as cultural artifacts, the export of which are restricted by the State.

Officers of the Authentication Office of Cultural Heritage of Guangdong

Province were appraising the Thangkas seized by Customs.