On March 27, an article titled "Reuniting a Bronze Mirror Instead Caused Damage, Resulting in a Sentence!" was published by the Xigong District Procuratorate in Luoyang City via the "Henan Prosecution" WeChat official account. The piece detailed a case from the previous year in the cultural relics hub of Luoyang, with all individuals involved referred to by pseudonyms.
"Business was tough, so I wanted to make some quick money, but I ended up ruining the reputation I had built over decades..." and "I thought侥幸 that just doing the restoration wouldn't be illegal..." These were the remorseful words expressed by Gao Dashan during a warning education symposium for local cultural heritage professionals, organized jointly by the Xigong District Procuratorate and the District Culture and Tourism Bureau on September 5, 2025. The self-taught expert, renowned locally for his bronze restoration skills, had taken a risk to restore a bronze mirror for quick financial gain, despite knowing it was a national cultural relic obtained illegally through excavation.
On June 23, 2025, following a public prosecution by the Xigong District Procuratorate, the defendant Gao Dashan was convicted of the crime of concealing criminal proceeds. The court sentenced him to ten months in prison, suspended for one year, along with a fine of 5,000 yuan. Additionally, his illegal income of 10,000 yuan was confiscated, he was ordered to pay 19,008 yuan in cultural relic restoration costs, and required to issue a public apology in a national media outlet.
After more than a decade of diligent study and practice, Gao Dashan had mastered exquisite bronze restoration techniques, gaining increasing recognition among his peers. Mirrors restored by him were often returned to a state where previous damage was virtually undetectable. Contrary to the saying "a broken mirror cannot be made whole again," colleagues noted that any bronze mirror could be "reunited" in Master Gao's hands. He had even voluntarily donated restored ancient bronze mirrors and bronze artifacts, sourced from antique markets, to local museums.
In 2015, Gao established a workshop producing antique-style handicrafts, employing over ten villagers to create imitation bronze artifacts. He officially joined the China Bronze Ware Association in 2016, becoming a somewhat notable figure in ancient bronze restoration circles.
In early 2020, a mysterious client approached Gao with three bronze mirrors, stating, "Name your price, as long as you can fix them." Upon close inspection, Gao's heart sank: the pieces featured typical Han Dynasty motifs. One mirror was broken into three or four pieces, while the other two had surface gaps. When Gao began to question their origin, the client cut him off, whispering, "Just do the work, don't ask where they came from." Hesitating, Gao was swayed when the client placed a thick stack of cash on the table—10,000 yuan—with a promise of future work. Tempted by the quick money and thinking of his employees' wages, Gao accepted the job.
For several days, he worked behind closed doors, applying his unique four-step process of rust removal, welding, polishing, and patina regeneration, successfully restoring the three mirrors to their former glory. However, handing them over filled him with unease. This apprehension soon materialized. The mirrors were intercepted by police during an attempted illegal sale by antiquities traffickers, leading investigators directly to Gao.
In July 2023, Gao was apprehended by public security authorities. Appraisals confirmed the three items were Han Dynasty "Guiju" mirrors, classified as Grade III national cultural relics, with a market value reaching several hundred thousand yuan. Initially during investigations, Gao claimed ignorance of the mirrors' illicit origins.
By March 2025, the case was transferred to the Xigong District Procuratorate for review and prosecution. Prosecutors thoroughly examined the case files, concluding based on the pre-restoration damage level, the client's suspicious behavior, the abnormally high restoration fee, and Gao's extensive experience that he must have been aware of the illegal source. Through patient legal explanation, prosecutors clarified the dual illegality of cultural relic crimes and unauthorized restoration. Faced with evidence, Gao eventually confessed and accepted punishment.
The procuratorate's public interest litigation team promptly commissioned a professional assessment. The evaluation revealed that the modern materials used in Gao's restoration had altered the surface composition of the relics, compromising their historical integrity and necessitating subsequent professional cleaning and repair.
In May 2025, the Xigong District Procuratorate prosecuted Gao for concealing criminal proceeds and simultaneously filed a criminal incidental civil public interest lawsuit, demanding a public apology in national media and payment for the restoration costs. The statement of prosecution highlighted that the defendant, as a professional, should have been a guardian of cultural heritage, but chose profit over ethics, causing harm greater than typical cultural relic offenses—a point that resonated deeply with industry peers present in the courtroom.
In June 2025, the Xigong District Court issued the first-instance verdict: conviction for concealing criminal proceeds, a ten-month suspended sentence, a 5,000 yuan fine, confiscation of 10,000 yuan in illegal gains, 19,008 yuan in restitution for restoration, and a mandated public apology.
Similar incidents have occurred multiple times in recent years within the restoration industry. A December 2023 report by Fangyuan magazine detailed a case from April 2021, where Lü Shengwen, a known figure in Luoyang's文物 circle, collaborated with others to purchase a Tang Dynasty Sea Beast and Grape Mirror for 3 million yuan in Hua County, Anyang, Henan. This type of mirror is highly representative of the Tang era. To enhance its appearance and increase its market value, Lü engaged Zhu Ziyu, who ran an antique shop and had self-taught restoration skills, to clean and treat the mirror. Knowing its illegal provenance, Zhu used chemical agents for derusting and polishing. Lü paid him 20,000 yuan, and subsequent collaborations earned Zhu over 70,000 yuan.
Lü, a frequent attendee of major art auctions, sold the treated mirror for 6 million yuan to a Guangdong businessman, Wu Taiyun, whom he met at a 2017 Hong Kong auction. Lü's lavish lifestyle, built on illicit artifact trafficking, collapsed when his crimes were uncovered. His commissioning of illegal "restoration" also drew the attention of public interest litigation prosecutors.
In April 2022, the Chanhe Hui District Procuratorate in Luoyang, using its self-developed "Luojian Cloud Supervision线索 Management Platform," identified a public interest litigation case线索 involving Zhu's chemical treatment, which had damaged the nationally significant Grade I Tang Dynasty Sea Beast and Grape Mirror, within a larger case against Lü and 20 others for tomb raiding and artifact trafficking. The procuratorate filed a civil public interest lawsuit on July 18, 2022.
That same month, experts from Luoyang Museum assessed the restoration and preservation costs, concluding that the illegal actions of Lü and Zhu caused irreparable, immeasurable damage to the relic's value. Current efforts can only involve removing harmful substances and stabilizing the preservation environment to prolong the artifact's lifespan. The mirror is now housed in Luoyang Museum, which has developed a specific conservation and restoration plan for it.