The rational and efficient recovery of Chinese archaeological objects from market nations is a crucial issue that is confronting the Chinese government. Although the 1970 UNESCO Convention was accepted in China in 1989, the destruction of Chinese archaeological sites through illicit excavations and illegal trade has increased, rather than diminished, in the nearly 30 succeeding years. For a better understanding of the challenges that confront the Chinese government, this article provides a case study approach to analyze the case of gold foils stolen from the Eastern Zhou tombs in the Dapuzishan Mountain Region of Lixian County in Gansu Province in the People’s Republic of China. The author identifies prominent issues that exist in relation to repatriation claims and offers some practical advice on the recovery of Chinese archaeological objects, which may assist the Chinese government in its decision making.
