A Tang Dynasty (618-907) ceramic plate among the returned relics. [Photo/Provided by the National Cultural Heritage Administration]

According to Guan, back in February 1995, the British police authorities informed the Chinese Embassy in London that an investigation into the sale of stolen property involved a group of cultural relics, which were suspected of Chinese origin.

It received an affirmative response from the cultural heritage administration that they were smuggled from China.

British police seized all the relics in an operation in March that year. And the State Council, China's Cabinet, soon set up a special cross-department working group, seeking to bring them home.