BEIJING, Feb. 7 (Xinhua) -- Recently, an ancient bronze ritual vessel that had been lost overseas after being stolen 40 years ago finally made its way home, the National Cultural Heritage Administration (NCHA) said Wednesday.

Unearthed in 1978 at an archaeological site dating back to the late Western Zhou Dynasty (1046-771 BC) in Famen Township of Baoji City, northwest China's Shaanxi Province, the bronze vessel, named "Feng Xingshu Gui" was classified as the top-grade cultural relic of the state.

However, it was stolen in November 1984, and an ongoing search and retrieval effort has been underway ever since.

In January 2023, a repatriation procedure was initiated by the NCHA following the information of the bronze's appearance in New York, United States.

The then-holder of the relic Raymond King and his mother agreed to unconditionally return the artifact to the Chinese government after learning about the story behind it, said the NCHA.

The NCHA has pledged further efforts to protect, study, publicize and display relevant cultural relics in the future.