Guanfu Museum Suspected of Housing Stolen Bronze Statue; Cultural Relics Bureau Launches Investigation 04.07.2026

The Beijing Municipal Cultural Relics Bureau is investigating a bronze statue at the Guanfu Museum, as the piece is alleged to be extremely similar to a National First-Class cultural relic—a cast bronze seated statue of Pu'an Zushi—which was stolen from Wugong Temple in Haikou, Hainan, 26 years ago. Guanfu Museum issued a statement claiming the statue was legally purchased from an antique market in 2005 and has been on display in Beijing for 20 years without any prior reports of theft. Upon learning of the online information, the museum reported the matter to higher authorities and requested an official appraisal by the competent authorities. The Wugong Temple Management Office in Haikou has also cooperated with cultural relic authorities and public security organs to initiate verification procedures. The bronze statue, cast during the late Song and early Yuan dynasties, stands 1.3 meters tall and weighs approximately 100 kilograms. It was stolen from Wugong Temple on April 30, 2000, and had previously been looted by the Japanese military and transported to Guangzhou during the War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression.













