Hong Kong man caught smuggling Qing dynasty relics

A Hong Kong man has been caught by Shenzhen Customs at the Futian Checkpoint for smuggling relics to Hong Kong, which include two landscape paintings that date back to the late Qing dynasty.

The man was detained by customs officers at the border control point after suspicious items were found in his luggage after a scan.

The officers discovered 64 items of calligraphy and paintings inside the traveler’s luggage, with two of them later confirmed to be relics from the Qing dynasty.

The two paintings fall under the category of general cultural relics prohibited from export unless given special approval, according to Shenzhen Customs.

Customs officials noted that a permit for the export of cultural relics must be obtained before leaving through designated ports.