In a time of war, Chinese museums are a safe haven for ancient treasures of Iran

An image showing damage to a room in Tehran’s Golestan Palace.

Photo: AP From glimmering floral-patterned glassware to the vivid colours of intricately designed Persian carpets, artefacts from Iran have captivated visitors to a museum in northern China, where they have avoided the risks of damage in the war waged by the US and Israel.

The relics, on display at the Inner Mongolia Museum in the regional capital Hohhot since December, have drawn growing attention since the start of the conflict in the Middle East and highlighted a cultural exchange that has been quietly flourishing in China.

Iranian media reports said the Unesco-listed Golestan Palace in Tehran – where the last shah to rule Iran was crowned in 1967 – was damaged during the US-Israeli strikes, underscoring China’s role as a safe harbour for global heritage when it is most vulnerable.

The Chinese exhibition, which features 151 artefacts from five Iranian museums, is part of a broader tour that visited Guangzhou and Nanjing, in southern and eastern China, before arriving at Hohhot.

The exhibition, showcasing the art and culture of ancient Persia, once a centre of trade and cultural exchange along the Silk Road.

It was originally scheduled to close by the end of March but was extended by a week to cover the Ching Ming Festival holiday that starts this weekend, according to the museum’s ticketing website.

Chinese social media users shared pictures of the artefacts, with some encouraging others to check out the exhibition. “With the Golestan Palace now damaged, it feels even more urgent to visit rare exhibitions like this while we still can,” one wrote.

It is unclear if the collection, which includes ceramics, metalwork, glassware and miniature paintings, will visit other Chinese cities.

A staff member at the Inner Mongolia Museum said it was unlikely the exhibition would be extended further, as the cooperation agreement had already expired.

More than 130 historical sites in Iran have been damaged in attacks by the US and Israel, Iranian cultural heritage authorities said on Monday.

Iran’s culture ministry also reported in March that 56 museums and monuments were damaged as a result of the strikes.

The Chinese foreign ministry on Tuesday urged action to avoid damage to cultural sites during the war on Iran. “World cultural heritage belongs to all humanity,” the ministry’s spokeswoman Mao Ning said. “China expresses deep concern over the damage to Iranian cultural sites amid conflict and

原文链接: 南华早报