Upon learning that the Golden Sun Birds will leave Sichuan, locals are flooding the internet with heated "greetings" to Beijing.
Soon, people from other provinces—primarily Henan, Guangdong, Chongqing, Yunnan, Guizhou, Zhejiang, and others—joined the discussion, strongly supporting the people of Sichuan and engaging in heated debates with die-hard fans of the National Museum, many of whom displayed Beijing IP addresses.
The uproar started when the Jinsha(whose name literally evokes "golden sand") Site Museum in Chengdu announced it would lend its prized artifact, the Gold Sun and Immortal Birds(太阳神鸟tai yang shen niao, c. 1600–256 BCE), to the National Museum of China in Beijing. Cnetizens quickly pointed out that the National Museum has a nasty reputation for borrowing treasured artifacts from local museums across China and never returning them—earning it the ironic moniker "the Beijing version of the British Museum."
To make matters worse, there have been past scandals where cultural relics donated to the National Museum went missing, were left off inventories, or were even suspected of being sold off privately.
So when Sichuan locals heard the Sunbird might be loaned out, they immediately started protesting—with many joking (but also seriously worried) that they might never see their cultural treasure again.
Why do Sichuan people care so much? In ancient mythology, the divine Sunbird had a specific name: Jinwu金乌, the Golden Crow. Legend has it that during the reign of Emperor Yao(c. 23rd–22nd BCE), the Heavenly Emperor, Di Jun帝俊, and the sun goddess, Xi He羲和, gave birth to ten children, who were the ten Golden Crows. Originally, they took turns patrolling the sky, bringing light and warmth to the earth. One day, the ten suns grew bored of their rotating duties and soared into the sky together. The consequences of ten suns appearing simultaneously were severe: the vegetation on earth was scorched, rivers and lakes dried up, crops failed, and the people suffered from extreme heat and famine. Ferocious beasts, driven by the harsh conditions, roamed everywhere, harming living beings, and the human world turned into a living purgatory.
To save all living beings, the Heavenly Emperor sent Hou Yi, a skilled archer, down to assist. Hou Yi shot down nine of the suns one after another, leaving only one behind, ordering it to rise and set on schedule to provide suitable light for the human world. Thereafter, the earth regained its vitality, and the people were able to live and work in peace.
The treasure of the Jinsha Museum, the Sun and Immortal Birds artifact, is a gold artifact from the Shang and Zhou dynasties(c. 1600–256 BCE). It was unearthed in 2001 at the Jinsha Site in Chengdu, Sichuan Province. The artifact is a thin circular piece with an outer diameter of 12.5 cm, an inner diameter of 5.29 cm, and a thickness of 0.02 cm. Its pattern is divided into inner and outer layers: the inner layer features 12 rotating tooth-shaped rays, symbolizing the sun, while the outer layer depicts four birds flying counterclockwise, their heads and feet connected. In 2005, the Sun and Immortal Birds gold ornament was selected as the symbol of Chinese cultural heritage and included in the list of cultural relics prohibited from being exhibited abroad.
The Golden Sun Birds, much like the Bronze Sacred Tree of Sanxingdui, stands as one of the spiritual and cultural totems of Sichuan. The Sunbird emblem can be seen everywhere in Chengdu—from sculptures and subway station decorations to a massive emblem adorning the Tianfu Overpass.
Surrounded by mountains on all sides (such as Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, Daba Mountains, and Yunnan-Guizhou Plateau), the Sichuan Basin traps moisture with limited dispersal, resulting in overcast skies, frequent fog, and relatively few sunny days throughout the year. The idiom "蜀犬吠日Shu Quan Fei Ri" (literally meaning "dogs in Sichuan bark at the sun") humorously captures this scarcity of sunlight—it is said that dogs in ancient Sichuan, rarely seeing the sun, would bark in surprise whenever it appeared, exaggerating the region's lack of sunshine.
Such cloudy, damp and rainy climate has nurtured a mild and humid ecological environment in the basin, with features like evergreen vegetation and fertile soil. It has also made sunny days particularly cherished by the locals. This may explain why the Sun Bird—a cultural icon—holds such significance for the people of Sichuan. Alongside the 石犀Shixi(Stone Rhinoceros) at the Chengdu Museum (closely linked to the Dujiangyan Irrigation System, placed under the order of Li Bing during the Warring States period(c. 3rd century BCE) and renowned as a tangible artifact of China's famed flood-controlling mythical creature), the Sun Bird is regarded as a true treasure of Sichuan, arguably even more cherished than the giant panda. Chengdu people have given affectionate nicknames to these two mythical creatures. The Sun Bird is called "queque'er" (雀雀儿, pinyin prounciation in Sichuan dialect are similar to chyor-chyor), meaning "birdie" or "chick," while the Stone Rhinoceros is nicknamed "mengniuniu" (萌牛牛), meaning "adorable chubby ox/cattle/cow" because of its plump, simple, and endearing appearance, which makes it exceptionally cute. As for why Chinese people call it "niu" (ox/cattle/cow), it's because in Chinese, the name for rhinoceros is "xiniu犀牛." The character "xi犀" refers specifically to the thick-skinned, horned beast. Broadly speaking, "niu牛" represents large, horned, powerful herbivorous mammals. Ancient Chinese people observed that rhinoceroses were massive, had horns, and were herbivores—traits similar to the familiar "niu"—and thus categorized them into the "niu" group. Imagine ancient Chinese zoologists seeing this huge, tough-skinned animal with horns for the first time. They didn't have a modern taxonomy, so they described it based on what they knew: "It's like a super-powered, armored wild niu with a legendary horn on its nose!" Hence, xiniu犀牛(Rhinoceros) literally means "the horn-beast that is like an ox/cattle/cow." (The fascinating stories behind the Stone Rhinoceros and the legendary Dujiangyan Irrigation System might be covered in a dedicated post another day.)
So, upon learning that the Sun Bird was to be sent to the National Museum of China, Sichuan people immediately grew restless. They flocked to the official social media accounts of the Jinsha Site Museum — including Weibo, Douyin, Xiaohongshu, and WeChat — to voice their concerns, while many others made direct phone inquiries. Overwhelmed by the public response, the museum's operational team swiftly issued a detailed official statement.
The official accounts of the Jinsha Museum stated that the Ancient Shu Civilization Exhibition will open on January 18, and the Sun Bird artifact will be on display at the National Museum from June 13 to August 18. They urgently clarified that the Sun Bird is currently still in Sichuan. Upon hearing this, Sichuan people felt somewhat relieved but remained uneasy. They worry about what could happen in the meantime—what if the National Museum refuses to return it in August, or demands another precious artifact from Sichuan in exchange, or even sends back a replica? Anything is possible.
Cnetizens also noticed that on the very day after the Jinsha Museum released its statement, Chengdu experienced a rare sunny day with clear skies. The long-absent blue skies finally returned, and there was even a clear spectacle of the sun and moon sharing the sky simultaneously. Prior to this, the city had been shrouded in continuous overcast clouds and persistent haze for many days. Many netizens in Sichuan had been complaining about the gloomy weather in winter.
Cnetizens from other provinces are also listing their own provincial treasure-level ancient artifacts that were borrowed by the National Museum and never returned.
This list is astonishing, including but not limited to:
Hunan: Four-goat Square Zun (Si Yang Fang Zun) – Hunan Museum
Shaanxi: Li Gui (Ritual Bronze Vessel) – Shaanxi History Museum
Hebei: Changxin Palace Lamp (Eternal Faith Lamp) – Hebei Museum
Sichuan: Bronze Longitudinal Mask from Sanxingdui – Sanxingdui Museum; Eastern Han Dynasty Pottery Figurine of a Drumming Storyteller, Chengdu Museum
Anhui: E Jun Qi Boat Tallies (Tally of Lord E's Boat) – Anhui Provincial Museum
Yunnan: Seal of the King of Dian – Yunnan Provincial Museum
Gansu: Majiayao Culture Pottery Vase with Swirl Pattern
Qinghai: Painted Pottery Basin with Dancing Figures – Qinghai Provincial Museum
Shanxi: Painted Bronze Goose-fish Lamp with Chimney – Shanxi Museum
Zhejiang: Carbonized Rice from Hemudu Site – Zhejiang Provincial Museum
Henan: Duling Square Ding, Fu Hao Owl Zun, Lotus and Crane Square Hu
Inner Mongolia: Hongshan Jade Dragon (C-shaped Jade Dragon)
Guangdong: Bronze Water Clock, Han Dynasty Pottery Boat
Guangxi: Bronze Drum Inscribed with Wu Zhu Coin Pattern
Given the National Museum's long and well-documented history of prior incidents...public resentment towards the National Museum has been building for a long time, and now it has erupted all at once, with everyone chiming in with their criticisms. During this, some die-hard fans of the museum tried to pick fights, but were solo-killed by the fierce Sichuan people (the scene was too graphic to translate). Jokes aside, some netizens seriously pointed out that it is very inappropriate to centrally house all cultural artifacts at the National Museum. One netizen's original words were: "If they want to see it, can't they just be given a replica? If they truly like it, they should come to Sichuan to see it. Only by deeply understanding Sichuan's culture and history can one better appreciate the significance of the Three-Legged Golden Crow. Not by having the item sent over. All locally distinctive items should keep the originals in their place. Replicas can be sent for exhibitions. Those who like them will come to see the originals themselves, learn about the local cultural features, and spread tourism culture." This perspective has gained agreement from the majority.
In fact, museums in China have been plagued by various scandals since the Republican era, a situation that persists to this day. Due to their exceedingly high artistic value and investment potential more stable than gold, cultural relics have long been used by the powerful as a form of private hard currency. Precious artifacts in museums, especially calligraphy and paintings, have long been targeted. In 1933, Yi Peiji was embroiled in a scandal over the theft of national treasures and later died with grievances. Subsequently, the Palace Museum became entangled with the Four Great Families of the Republican era. The Soong family accepted night pearls as bribes, while the Kong family replaced genuine artifacts with replicas during the relocation of cultural relics to Taiwan, leading to the loss of a vast number of items evacuated southward. During the southward evacuation of the Palace Museum's collection, a significant number of pieces were "accidentally" lost. Of the 137 paintings donated by the Pang family, only 130 remain today.
In May 2025, Pang Shuling, a descendant of the renowned Jiangnan collector Pang Laichen, discovered that the Ming Dynasty painting Spring in Jiangnan by Qiu Ying, which their family had donated free of charge to the Nanjing Museum in 1959, appeared at a Beijing Guardian spring auction preview with an estimated value of 88 million RMB. This incident confirmed earlier reports that Xu Huping, former director of the Nanjing Museum, had been accused of insider theft and trafficking in museum collections, including artifacts from the Palace Museum's southward evacuation, with the donated Pang family piece Spring in Jiangnan being illegally auctioned off privately. The Nanjing Museum claimed that five pieces were forgeries and had been "transferred," yet one ended up at an auction house.
Wu Huan, the grandson of Wu Ying (one of the founders of the Palace Museum), publicly disclosed under his real name that out of 241 ancient paintings donated by his family to the Palace Museum, over 60 went missing, leaving only about 170 by the 1980s. More recently, a donor named Cui Fengxiang also reported under his real name that artifacts he donated to the Palace Museum were not on the donation list and are currently unaccounted for. The Palace Museum has been unable to provide a response, leading to suspicions that the items were taken without permission by the powerful for private collection or auction house transactions.
Chinese netizens sarcastically refer to this phenomenon as "one at the Palace Museum, one at my house". This phrase mocks the ugly practice where certain individuals with power and connections secretly remove genuine artifacts from museums to their private collections, replacing them with replicas on the exhibition stands. Incidents where museum visitors have discovered that displayed items are fakes have been exposed several times before. Everyone is saying, "Who would have thought that in this day and age, cultural relics still have to rely on public opinion for protection."
One thing is certain: if the National Museum tries any underhanded tactics, Sichuan people will not stand for it. Known for their fiery hotpot culture and resilient spirit, Sichuan locals are prepared to ensure this matter does not end quietly if anything happens to the Sun Bird. For now, all eyes from Sichuan and across the nation are fixed on the National Museum.
Let's briefly talk about Sichuan. Sichuan is one of the birthplaces of Chinese civilization. In ancient times, it was home to the mysterious Sanxingdui Civilization (c. 1600–1046 BCE), and later, it became the heart of the Shu Kingdom culture during the Three Kingdoms period (220–280 CE). Many notable figures hailed from Sichuan, including Yu the Great, who controlled floods(21st century BCE); Li Bing and his son, who designed the Dujiangyan Irrigation System during the Warring States period (c. 3rd century BCE) – it remains the world's oldest hydraulic engineering project still in use today; Sima Xiangru, a famous writer of the Western Han Dynasty; Li Bai, the Poetic Immortal of the Tang Dynasty; Chen Zi'ang, also a great Tang Dynasty poet; and Su Shi, the great poet of the Northern Song Dynasty; Many also recognize Wu Zetian, the only female emperor in Chinese history, as having family roots in Guangyuan, Sichuan. Other renowned figures such as Du Fu, a poet on par with Li Bai, resided in Sichuan for extended periods, the thatched cottage where he once lived has now become a renowned cultural landmark in Chengdu. Zhuge Liang, one of the most famous figures in Chinese history, served as the chancellor of the Shu Kingdom. The Wuhou Shrine in Chengdu is dedicated to his memory.
For Sichuan people and all Chinese people, the Golden Crow (Jinwu) belongs to a part of the romantic imagination about 星汉xinghan(meaning the silver river, the starry river). The Classic of Mountains and Seas: The Classic of Regions Beyond the Seas – The East(c. 4th – 2nd century BCE) records: "Beyond the Land of Black-Teeth lies Sun-warmed Valley, where the Fusang tree stands. This is where the ten suns bathe. In the midst of the waters grows a great tree. Nine suns rest on its lower branches, one sun rests on its upper branch." Huainanzi · The Essence of Spirit(c. 140 BCE) states: "In the sun there is a crouching crow." The commentator Gao You explains: "Cun踆(Crouching) means to squat, referring to the three-legged crow." Legend holds that within the sun resides a three-legged crow, and later, the "Three-Legged Golden Crow" became a common symbol for the sun itself. However, the Golden Crow depicted on the T-shaped silk painting from the tomb of Xin Zhui (Lady Dai) of the Western Han Dynasty(202 BCE – 8 CE) has only two legs, resembling more closely a crow from the mortal world. This illustrates how divine beasts often embody a coexistence of transcendent and earthly attributes.
The Sun Bird will leave Chengdu this summer. As for whether what returns is the genuine artifact, that will depend entirely on the extent of greed and audacity among those in power behind the scenes. According to traditional Feng Shui metaphysics, this year is the Bingwu Fire Horse Year丙午火马年, coinciding with the Nine Purple Li Fire luck cycle九紫离火大运—fire piled upon fire. Any forgery will be burned away, and the truth will be exposed. The various social topics that emerged at the end of 2025 are tellingly aligned with this point. Another aspect is the significant acceleration of karmic reckoning. Those who committed wrongdoings in the past and evaded justice will soon face their due outcomes. As the old saying goes, the net of heaven may have large meshes, but nothing escapes it. One might evade earthly law, but not cosmic cause and effect. Consequently, various Chinese Xuanxue (the Learning of the Three Mystic Treatises: Laozi, Zhuangzi, Zhouyi) bloggers online are advising everyone to "但行好事，莫问前程Dan Xing Hao Shi, Mo Wen Qian Cheng(Do good, ask not of the future, and let the Dao take its course)."
This is a late-Ming dynasty popular proverb encouraging benevolent deeds, whose intent is to advise people to relinquish utilitarian concerns, and not to dwell on what benefits good deeds may bring. The author can no longer be definitively identified. The earliest verifiable literary citation appears in the final poem of Chapter 100 of The Investiture of the Gods (Fengshen Yanyi), written during the Wanli era (1573–1620) by the Daoist Lu Xixing (courtesy name Changgeng, founder of the Eastern School of Internal Alchemy): "Do good, ask not of the future, and let the Dao take its course. Fortune and calamity have no gate—they are summoned by one's own deeds."
