Peking University is currently embroiled in a RMB100 million (USD15 million) legal battle over more than 600 cultural relics, South China Morning Post reports. The collection of artifacts legally belonged to Ji Xianlin, a well-known linguist and former professor at the university. Ji died in 2008 at the age of 98.
It is reported that he gave the collection to the university before his death. It consists of 649 ancient books, paintings and calligraphy works. However, Ji’s son, 81-year-old Ji Cheng, is now fighting to get legal rights to the collection, the Beijing No. 1 Intermediate People’s Court announced on Tuesday.
According to Ji, the collection is worth roughly RMB100 million.
“I want to get these relics back and to raise funds through them,” Ji said. “I am not against reaching a compromise with Peking University. I also hope to join hands with the school to establish the Ji Xianlin Fund, which was one of my father’s wishes.”
Ji Xianlin amassed the collection during his long and prestigious career studying Sanskrit and other ancient languages. He signed a contract stating that the collection would be issued to the university in 2011. However, because the collection was owned by both Ji and his late wife, his son is arguing that his father should have only left his designated half of the relics to the university.
Ji also claims that his father wrote a letter in 2008 that clearly states that the university was only looking after the collection and that they did not have legal ownership.
The case was heard on Tuesday, but a verdict has not yet been reached.
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