文物

• Pinyin: wén wù
• Hanzi breakdown: 文 (culture, civilisation); 物 = 牛 + 勿 (thing, object — cattle as the original standard of value)

Meaning

Cultural relics; cultural heritage objects; artefacts. Objects of historical, artistic, or cultural significance from the past, preserved for their value to human history and civilisation.

China has one of the world's richest collections of cultural relics. The State Administration of Cultural Heritage (国家文物局) oversees their protection. Smuggling cultural relics is a serious legal offence. 国宝级文物 refers to state-level national treasures.

Examples

1. 这件青铜器是商代的文物，距今已有三千多年的历史，极具研究价值。 This bronze vessel is a cultural relic from the Shang dynasty; it’s over 3,000 years old and has great research value.
2. 博物馆正在对馆藏文物进行数字化保护，建立永久性的电子档案。 The museum is digitizing and preserving its collection of cultural relics and creating permanent electronic archives.
3. 他因非法倒卖出土文物被依法追究刑事责任。 He was held criminally responsible under the law for illegally trafficking unearthed cultural artifacts.

Usage Guide

Context: history, culture, museum, law

Tone: neutral

Do Say

• 国家投入大量资金用于修复和保护珍贵的出土文物，以传承中华历史文明。(The state has invested heavily in restoring and protecting precious excavated relics to pass on Chinese historical civilisation.)
• 海外流失的文物回归祖国，是每一位中国人心中深切的期盼与心愿。(The return of cultural relics lost overseas to the motherland is a heartfelt wish of every Chinese person.)

Don't Say

• 这件古董是很好的文物 — not all antiques are 文物; 文物 has specific legal and cultural significance; privately owned old items are 古董 or 古玩, not necessarily 文物

Origin & History

文 (culture, civilisation) + 物 (object, thing)

Cultural Context

Era: Ancient to modern

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal