Local children and teenagers created paintings for the 20th anniversary of the Dagu Iron Bell's return to China. [By Yan Dongjie/chinadaily.com.cn]

A special exhibit at the Dagukou Fort Ruins Museum in Tianjin commemorating the 20th anniversary of the return of the Dagu Iron Bell, a national first-grade cultural relic, has drawn visitors from across China.

The bell was seized by British forces during the Eight-Nation Alliance's invasion in 1900 and taken to Portsmouth, where it remained for over a century. It was finally returned to China on 20 July 2005, following joint efforts by cultural authorities and communities in the UK and China.

This bell's journey symbolizes China's growing ability to protect its cultural heritage, said Han Yu, a guide at the museum who has developed a strong connection with the artifact during her four years at the site.

During a recent museum guide competition in Tianjin, Han moved many participants with the story of the bell's century-long journey home.

The Dagukou Fort, where the bell originated, was historically a strategic point linking sea and land routes in China. During the Ming (1368-1644) and Qing (1644-1911) dynasties, several defense forts were built in this area. The site suffered significant damage during four foreign invasions.

The Dagu Iron Bell has ties to a national hero. In 1860, during the third Dagukou war, the Chinese general Le Shan sacrificed his life on the battlefield. In his honor, the soldiers stationed at the Dagukou Fort cast the massive bell.

During the fourth Dagukou war, the Eight-Nation Alliance once again attacked, and after the fort fell, the bell was taken as a trophy by a British warship and stored in Victoria Park, Portsmouth.

In 2004, an artist in Portsmouth rediscovered the Dagu Iron Bell and recognized its historical value. He advocated for its return to China, with a replica replacing the original. Collaborating with Chinese experts and Tianjin officials, the bell was repatriated in 2005.

"The bell finally returned to China on July 20, 2005, after over two years of negotiations, thanks to the help of local Chinese communities and both governments," Han said.

The bell has since become the centerpiece of the Dagukou Fort Ruins Museum, which opened in 2011. It has become a symbol of the broader movement to recover looted cultural relics.

Success stories of the repatriation of cultural relics have become increasingly frequent. More than 300 collections, totaling over 150,000 cultural artifacts, have been returned to China, thanks to combined efforts across society.

This year's exhibit coincides with the 80th anniversary of victory in the Chinese People's War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression (1931-45), drawing families and students keen to explore wartime history. Among them was Li Qiutong, a high school student from Jilin province, who was particularly moved by Han's storytelling.

Hearing Han's detailed narratives, he felt as though history unfolded before him, especially the heroic deeds of Le Shan.