Toronto: No Chinese Can Leave the Royal Ontario Museum with a Smile
Whenever a fellow countryman comes to Toronto, I always recommend the Royal Ontario Museum (ROM) first.
The moment I stepped into the Royal Ontario Museum, a complex emotion welled up inside me. Established in 1912, this museum houses over 13 million artifacts that seem to narrate the histories of cultures around the world. Yet, as a Chinese person, every step I took, every artifact from my homeland before my eyes, filled me with a heavy sense of helplessness. The Chinese Art and Culture Gallery, one of the most striking sections of the ROM, is located to the left of the main lobby. Here, nearly 40,000 Chinese artifacts are displayed, making this museum the second-largest collection of Chinese cultural relics outside of China. Each precious piece of ceramic, bronze, and Buddhist statue seems to bear the marks of plunder, taken from the land where they rightfully belong. These historical treasures had silently rested on Chinese soil for hundreds or even thousands of years, yet now they reside in a foreign land, regarded as mere “artworks” in the eyes of others.
Appreciating these artifacts that carry our cultural memories, it is hard for a descendant of Yan and Huang to suppress emotions surrounded by the giant ancient murals. In a mix of national pride and humiliation, it is easy for one’s eyes to redden. What made me linger the longest was a Yuan Dynasty mural—"Maitreya Buddha Preaching the Dharma." This precious mural, originally from Xinghua Temple in Shanxi, measures 30 feet long and 15 feet high, depicting the scene of Maitreya Buddha saving the world in the future. In the center of the mural, Maitreya sits serenely on a throne, his feet naturally hanging down, his hand forming the Abhaya Mudra (fearlessness mudra), symbolizing future hope and redemption. However, the journey of this mural is heartbreaking. Due to the threat of war, monks had to dismantle it. In 1928, British missionary Bai Weili purchased it for 5,000 silver dollars and transported it across the ocean to Canada. I encountered artifacts from my homeland in this foreign land, feeling the greatness and antiquity of Chinese civilization, but no Chinese person can leave this museum with genuine ease. Every step is a dialogue with a lost culture; every exhibit is a testimony to history and a silent sigh.
Perhaps this visit can help more people recognize the brilliance of Chinese culture, but as a Chinese person, we only want to bring these lost artifacts home, to return them to the land where they belong. I believe no Chinese person can leave the Royal Ontario Museum with a smile.
In the golden autumn of October, celebrating prosperity together—if faith has a color, it must be Chinese red. May our motherland remain safe and sound, forever prosperous and strong!
