Campaign launched to restore priceless relics

     China has launched a campaign to restore ancient cultural relics and national treasures. A priceless olive-shaped porcelain vase from the Qing Dynasty stands out among the first batch of relics to be restored in Jingdezhen, in east China's Jiangxi Province.

     The ancient relics are being polished by porcelain artists Huang Yunpeng and Zhang Pusheng of the Nanjing Museum.

     The colored porcelain vase is 38-centimeters high. It features exquisitely carved patterns of eight peaches and two bats. Experts explain that traditionally, peaches symbolize longevity, and bats are a token of good fortune.

    What distinguishes the colored porcelain vase from others is that it boasts an olive shape, which is rarely-seen among items from Emperors of Yongzheng and Qianlong eras of the Qing Dynasty. This is the only one in existence.

    The olive-shaped porcelain vase was retrieved by a Hong Kong resident at an auction, at a price of over 40-million Hong Kong dollars. The Chinese buyer then donated the relic to the Shanghai Museum.