Law cancels Chinese Terracotta Army exhibit slated for Calgary

CALGARY - The Glenbow’s 2011 Exhibition of Chinese Terracotta Army figures just went marching back to China.

That was the stunning news Thursday, when the museum announced the cancellation of the four month exhibition, which was slated to open July 30, 2011 and run through November.

The cancellation was the result of a Chinese law that limits the amount of time Terracotta Army artifacts can remain outside China to one year.

The Terracotta Army opened at the Royal Ontario Museum in Toronto in June, will have a run at the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts beginning in February, before returning to China.

Glenbow’s President and CEO Kirstin Evenden said the decision was a major disappointment, both artistically and economically.

“We are extremely disappointed that Glenbow will not have the opportunity as planned to give Albertans the opportunity to learn about China’s rich cultural legacy,” she said. “While we accept the decision, it is a missed opportunity to share this remarkable archaeological discovery with our visitors in Western Canada.”