Cultural relic expert Sun Ji (1st R) introduces the bronze vessel “Tiger Ying,” which was looted from the Old Summer Palace, during a ceremony to mark its entering the collections at the National Museum of China in Beijing on Tuesday. The vessel was auctioned in April by Britain’s Canterbury Auction Galleries. The buyer, through the auction house, contacted China’s State Administration of Cultural Heritage (SACH) in late April and expressed hope for an unconditional donation. Resources show the vessel was taken away by British military officer Harry Evans from the Old Summer Palace, which was sacked and destroyed in 1860 during the invasion of Anglo-French allied forces. Representatives from SACH and experts with the National Museum of China visited Britain in September to authenticate the bronze vessel, which dates back to the Western Zhou period (1046 B.C.-771 B.C.). Xinhua