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Among visitors to China are quite a few antique hunters.
A long history has endowed the land of China with innumerous cultural
artifacts. With the passage of time so many of them have found their way
into the marketplace. All sorts of antiques and curios, traditional Chinese
paintings and works of calligraphy, old time-pieces, carpets and ancient
books are available in antique and curio fairs and shops operating in
different places with government authorization. Browsing through these
markets and shops and bargaining for a good price prove a fascinating
experience in China.
The official seal is the best proof for the authenticity of a cultural
relic. All the products on sale in Antique shops recommended in this manual
bear such a seal, and the product you have bought from such a shop is always
accompanied by a receipt which shows the name of the product and the year of
its making. Nobody is allowed to bring out of China cultural artifacts dated
to 1795 and earlier. You have to show the permit from a cultural relics
administrative department to the Chinese Customs if you want to bring along
an artifact dating back to between 1795 and 1949. The office of the Beijing
Municipal Cultural Relics Administration opens 1:30-4:30 p.m. Monday through
Friday. |
