Australian police arrested two people for allegedly vandalizing a century-old Chinese parade dragon and other valuable artifacts at a museum in Bendigo.
According to the City of Greater Bendigo, a man and woman threw an oily substance from a drink bottle onto dragons Sun Loong and Loong at the Golden Dragon Museum on May 5, Sunday.
Victoria Police said the two are suspected of damaging $66,900 worth of art and historical items before driving off in a silver Toyota Prado.
One targeted item was Loong, which the museum considered the "oldest complete imperial processional dragon in the world."
'Loong' is a sacred mythical creature in Chinese culture, often the protagonist in celebrations and rituals. In English, this term is commonly called a dragon.
Dragon dances have been recorded at ceremonial events since the Han Dynasty (202 BCE to 220 CE). These dances usually involve dancers manipulating a giant dragon puppet through the streets.
Golden Dragon Museum general manager Hugo Leschen called the target incidents "deeply upsetting."
"The collection here at the Golden Dragon Museum is the most significant of Chinese heritage and culture in Australia, so to have this mindless damage perpetrated on our collection is upsetting for us all," he said.
The chairman of Great Stupa, Ian Green, ensured that efforts were underway to restore any damage to the statues.
He claimed that due to the nature of the liquid, they are seeing paint lifting on their Saint Francis of Assisi statue. He noted that the liquid had also permanently stained a granite wall.
Furthermore, Green said artifacts at the Stupa were considered sacred, with many entrusted to the monument by various faith-based communities to help preserve and celebrate their tradition.
