World · East Asia & Pacific · 2 hrs ago
Australia returns 500-year-old Ming dynasty Buddha statue to China
Australia has returned a 500-year-old Buddha statue to China after it was found buried beside a road in 2018.
The 15cm bronze figurine dates to the Ming dynasty, which ruled China hundreds of years ago.
It was handed to Chinese consular representatives in Denham, a coastal town in Shark Bay, on Tuesday.
How the statue reached Australia remains unknown, and no one has explained its arrival.
It will be taken to China for further evaluation to help establish its history.
The statue is expected to be displayed at a museum in Beijing after that evaluation.
Australia has returned a 500-year-old Ming dynasty Buddha statue to China.
The 15cm bronze figurine was found buried by a roadside in Australia in 2018.
It was handed to Chinese consular representatives at a ceremony in Denham, in Shark Bay.
The statue will be taken to China for further evaluation before being displayed at a museum in Beijing.
How it arrived in Australia remains unknown.
- Who
- Australia returned the statue to China, handing it to Chinese consular representatives.
- What
- A 500-year-old, 15cm bronze Buddha figurine was returned.
- When
- The handover took place on Tuesday; the article was published on October 16, 2026.
- Where
- Denham, in Shark Bay, Australia.
- Why
- The statue is to be evaluated in China to establish its history before being displayed at a museum in Beijing.
This story does not have two clearly opposing sides.
The Buddha figurine was found buried by a roadside in Australia.
The statue was formally handed to Chinese consular representatives in Denham.
- Age
- 500 years old
- Material and size
- Bronze; 15cm (six inches)
- Discovery
- Found buried by a roadside in Australia in 2018
- Handover location
- Denham, Shark Bay
- Planned destination
- A museum in Beijing, after further evaluation in China