The State Administration of Cultural Heritage (SACH) bought the rare manuscripts of Hu Shi's letters at the price of 5,544,000 yuan in China Guardian's 2009 Spring Auction Saturday. It is the first time the State decided to use the preemptive right to buy a cultural relic.

Dozens of letters between New Culture Movement leader Hu Shi and Chen Duxiu, Liang Qichao and Xu Zhimo during 1920-30s, totaling 13 letters and 27 pages, are the precious collections of these rare historical documents.


Chen Duxiu’s letter to Hu Shi.

The letters concern the establishment of independent newspaper "New Youth" in 1920, the breakdown of "New Youth" editorial colleagues in 1920, demonstrations and strikes of students in Shanghai in 1920, the participation of Hu Shi in the ‘Aftermath Solution Meeting' of Duan Qirui's government, and the publication of Chen Duxiu's drafts written in prison.


Liang Qichao’s letter to Hu Shi.

"Price negotiation is always a barrier for preemptive right," said Song Xinchao, director of the museum department of SACH. "We made a new attempt this time according to the international practice and gained support from the auction company and the collection's owner. This batch of letters will be used for exhibition and research in the future."

"Collections either have to be legal or of great value, otherwise the preemptive right cannot be used," according to Dong Baohua, deputy director of the SACH.

"However, the State will insist on reclaiming rather than buying back the cultural relics from overseas, such as those looted from Yuanmingyuan, as they were ltaken illegally at first," Dong claimed.

Source: The Global Times