British Museum: Chinese TikTok hit amplifies calls for return of artefacts

"Escape from the British Museum" tells the story of a jade teapot becoming human, wishing to return to China.Youtube/EscapeBM

Foreign artifacts should be returned to the British Museum, according to a short-video set that has gone popular in China.

It tells the tale of a person playing the jade teapot as it makes its way up to China.

Following reports last month that 2, 000 riches were” missing, stolen, or damaged ,” the famous museum has come under stress.

Requirements for treasures to be returned have been made by China and other nations as a result of the incident.

The three-part set, Escape from the British Museum, was produced and directed by two Chinese influencers on social media. It describes how a stone pot tries to flee the museum by coming to life and taking on human form.

Her hope? with the assistance of a Chinese columnist she encounters on the streets of London, to return to China.

The pot is a genuine artifact that was just recently added to the British Museum. It was created in 2011 by a Chinese designer who specializes in complex stone sculptures.

The delicate method used in the creation of the pot is a craft that is distinctive to China and has been embraced by the Chinese people, despite no exactly being regarded as social artifact.

The line has been played 270 million times since it was first made available on China’s Douyin type of TikTok. Additionally, in just one year, its authors, who identify as separate content producers, amassed more than five million followers on Taiwanese social media apps.

State media has also given the line a lot of support. This week, state broadcaster CCTV praised it and said,” We are delighted to see Chinese young people are passionate about history and tradition. We are also looking forward to the early return of Chinese artifacts that have been displaced overseas.”

Another celebrities have been inspired by the smash hit to dress up as heroes from vintage Foreign sculptures and paintings.

Social internet users attribute the series’ success to the relatable message of” homecoming ,” whereas traditional media has scrambled to decipher the secret of its success.

"Escape from the British Museum" tells the story of a jade teapot becoming human, wishing to return to China.

Youtube/EscapeBM

” Perhaps the British Museum’s Chinese historical artifacts are currently missing present as well. But the packed booths are the only place they may fit. When they see Foreign faces there, will they be asking,” Take me back?” Learn one of Douyin’s most popular comments.

Another user remarked on Weibo,” Eventually, there will be a day when [ the items ] come home in dignity.”

In recent years, as patriotic sentiment has grown, cultural traditions and ownership have become a more delicate subject for the Taiwanese public. In spite of rising tensions with the West, President Xi Jinping keeps promoting a powerful Chinese personality.

Luxury brand Dior was accused of” culturally appropriating” a Chinese traditional design for one of its skirts last year, which sparked online backlash and store protests.

A picture of a Chinese influence visiting the exhibition went viral on Douyin earlier this year during the Lunar New Year, and the user claimed that the jewels had been sad. The line was inspired by a remark that suggested turning the treasures’ escape into an animation.

The British Museum is under a lot of stress because of the thefts, so the series’ transfer has come. The Global Times, a Taiwanese nationalist publication, published an editorial last week asking the gallery to return its whole Chinese collection.

The news, which is a Beijing mouth, stated that” We officially request the British Museum to return all Foreign cultural artifacts acquired through poor programmes to China free of charge.”

It’s not the first period China has made for demands, which echo those of other nations like Sudan, Nigeria, and Greece that have all requested that the British Museum return stolen artifacts.

The Rosetta Stone, which the American dynasty forcibly took in 1801, has been sought after by Egypt. Greece has also been pushing for the return of its Parthenon carvings, also referred to as the Elgin Marbles.

The British Museum has much argued that it is best equipped to safeguard for priceless artifacts, but detractors claim that the most recent incidents disprove this claim.

Some American lawmakers continue to insist that it is a secure location. Eight million items from six countries are housed in the gallery. At any given time, only 80,000 products, or roughly 1 % of the entire set, are on display.