A Chinese bronze vessel¹ some 3,000 years old that was looted and taken to the UK in the 19th century has returned to its country of origin.

我国一件已有约3000年历史、于19世纪被掠走并流失英国的青铜器，于近日重回祖国。

It was transferred to the National Museum of China last Tuesday.

上周二，该青铜器被移交给国家博物馆。

The vessel, known as the Bronze Tiger Ying, was auctioned³ in April by Britain's Canterbury Auction² Galleries.

今年4月，这一名为“虎鎣”的青铜器在英国坎特伯雷拍卖行被拍卖。

流失海外文物青铜'虎鎣'重回祖国

The buyer, through the auction house, contacted China's State Administration of Cultural Heritage later and expressed hope for an unconditional⁴ donation.

随后，买家通过拍卖行联系到了中国国家文物局，表示希望将其无条件捐赠。

Information shows the vessel, from the late period of the Western Zhou Dynasty and once belonging to the royal family of the Qing Dynasty, was taken away by British military officer Harry⁵ Evans from the Old Summer Palace, which was sacked and destroyed in 1860 during the invasion of Anglo-French allied⁶ forces.

资料显示，“虎鎣”是西周晚期文物，原为清朝皇室旧藏，被英国军官哈利·埃文斯从圆明园劫走。1860年英法联军入侵我国时洗劫并摧毁了圆明园。

"The loss and return of Chinese cultural relics⁷ is closely connected with the fall and rise of a nation," Liu Yuzhu, director of the National Cultural Heritage Administration, said last Tuesday. "The lost cultural relics hold Chinese people's deep emotions."

国家文物局局长刘玉珠上周二表示：“中国文物的失而复得，与一个民族的兴衰休戚相关。丢失的文物承载着中国人民深厚的感情。”