South Korea Confirms Handover of a Pair of Chinese Qing Dynasty Stone Lions This Year

[Global Times Correspondent in South Korea, Mang Jiuchen] The Kansong Art Museum in South Korea is set to host its 2026 Spring Special Exhibition, titled "Safeguarding the Nation Through Culture: A Spirit Defended by Conviction," from April 15 to June 14. The exhibition will feature 46 selected works from the museum's collection. According to a report by Yonhap News Agency, during a press conference held on the 13th to announce the special exhibition, the Kansong Art Museum unveiled two stone tiger statues; these statues are slated to replace the pair of stone lion statues currently positioned at the museum's entrance.

  According to the Kansong Art Museum, the pair of stone lion statues—identified as artifacts created during China's Qing Dynasty—stand approximately 1.9 meters tall and weigh 1.25 tons each. They were acquired in Japan in 1933 by Jeon Hyeong-pil (pen name: Kansong)—a renowned Korean educator and cultural heritage collector—using his own personal funds. During his lifetime, Jeon Hyeong-pil explicitly stated that the stone lions were originally Chinese cultural artifacts and expressed his hope that, one day, they could be returned to China. In keeping with this wish, and seizing the opportunity presented by the South Korean President's visit to China this past January, the Kansong Art Museum officially decided to donate the pair of stone lions to China. The transfer of the artifacts is expected to be completed later this year. The museum noted that this year marks the 120th anniversary of Jeon Hyeong-pil's birth; thus, the donation serves to honor his lifelong conviction of "safeguarding the nation through culture," while also aiming to serve as a significant catalyst for fostering more vibrant cultural exchanges between South Korea and China. Yu Hong-jun, Director-General of the National Museum of Korea, expressed his belief that this gesture would stand as an enduring symbol of future cultural cooperation and friendly exchange between the two nations.

  Separately, according to a previous report by South Korea's *Asia Business Daily*, the National Museum of Korea held a "Signing Ceremony for the Donation Agreement of Qing Dynasty Stone Lions" in early January of this year. During the ceremony, the museum—acting in conjunction with China's National Cultural Heritage Administration and the Kansong Art Museum—signed the relevant agreement, thereby officially finalizing the donation of the pair of Qing Dynasty stone lions to China.