Let's talk about why Weng Wange has so many treasures. Of course, this has something to do with his hobbies. In addition, he is a descendant of Weng Tonghe. Weng Tonghe is a famous politician and calligrapher in the modern history of China. Successive Tongzhi and Guangxu emperors. At that time, the Weng family was famous all over the world for its great career. Weng Tonghe also loves books. After several generations of accumulation, I have collected the books of Weng's family.
When these collections reached the hands of Weng Tonghe's fifth generation Sun Weng, as Weng said: I lived for the possession of my family, and the possession of my family also made my life. 1999, China Guardian Auction Company, which was collecting lots at that time, learned that Weng had a batch of books to sell and immediately sent people to the United States. After a brief discussion with Weng, the company agreed to auction it in April of the following year.
Fortunately, Guardian Company is well aware of the preciousness of this collection, which is the largest and best-preserved private collection overseas, including 80 kinds of ***542 volumes in Song, Yuan, Ming and Qing Dynasties. Guardian Company immediately wrote a report to National Cultural Heritage Administration, hoping that the state would take over this precious cultural relic. In the end, this collection was taken away by the Shanghai Library at a price of * * * 4.5 million US dollars.
At that time, many domestic media were praising Weng Wange's "patriotic feelings" and reporting, but they didn't know that there would be no harm without comparison. On July 28th, 20 18, this once highly praised old gentleman announced that he would donate his national treasures "The Map of the Yangtze River" and 183 to Boston Art Museum for free.
There are seven works by Dong Qichang in Six Generations of Weng. Needless to say, its value is a pity. Is donation really free? Is it because he is an American citizen? According to informed sources, Weng's approach has two purposes. One is tax-free, so that all his children can enter the board of directors of Boston Art Museum. The other is that the board members are all local dignitaries. This can be regarded as laying a solid foundation for their children's future social interaction. I have to say, it is really well-intentioned.
What I want to say is that Mr. Weng has indeed made great contributions to the preservation of national cultural relics, but if cultural relics can speak, I believe they are more willing to return to the embrace of the motherland, and the motherland will protect them with more patience and better technology. Many precious treasures of our country are actually in danger of being destroyed abroad.
As the first of China's famous paintings, a woman's history was preserved in the British Museum by folding the screen, which led to cracks and powder loss in this thousand-year-old painting. Finally, we can only ask experts from the Forbidden City to repair it. If cultural relics can talk, I believe they would prefer to go home.