Treasure stolen from Old Summer Palace returns home after 160-year odyssey

"It's no more a private royal collection, but heritage shared by all people," he said. "Better protection, study and display of the relic will show the inclusiveness and resilience of Chinese civilization."

"The horse's head holds the memory of history and our nation's shared emotion," Pansy Ho Chiuking, Stanley Ho's daughter, said in a congratulatory video clip shown at the handover ceremony.

"It also reflects Hong Kong and Macao compatriots' attachment to the country."