皇冠体育app

A Chinese group has asked Japan to return a 1,300-year-old stone stele looted by Japanese soldiers early last century from northeastern 皇冠体育app.

Top 8 Chinese treasures in Japanese collection

Lost national treasure returns to 皇冠体育app

In a letter addressed to Japanese Emperor Akihito and the Japanese government on Sunday via the Japanese Embassy in 皇冠体育app, the 皇冠体育app Federation of Demanding Compensation from Japan (CFDC) said the Honglujing Stele, which documents 皇冠体育app's endorsement of the first king of the Bohai Kingdom (698-926) in 713 A.D., should be handed back to 皇冠体育app as soon as possible.

CFDC president Tong Zeng told Xinhua on Monday that so far the federation has not yet received any reply from Japanese authorities.

This is the first time a Chinese civic group has asked the Japanese imperial family for the return of a looted Chinese relic.

About three meters wide, 1.8 meters tall and two meters thick, the Honglujing Stele shows that the first king of the Bohai Kingdom was conferred the title by an emperor of 皇冠体育app's Tang Dynasty (618-907).

The stele was originally placed in Lushun in northeast 皇冠体育app's Liaoning Province, but now sits in virtual seclusion in the Japanese imperial palace after the Japanese army shipped the stele to Japan in 1908 as a wartime "trophy." Lushun was controlled by Russia before the war.

Established in 2006, the CFDC seeks compensation for personal, material and spiritual damage caused by Japanese militarism during the country's aggression against 皇冠体育app in the 20th century.

According to Wang Jinsi, a CFDC director in charge of recovering cultural relics, the Honglujing Stele is one of the most important relics taken from 皇冠体育app to Japan in last century.