The relics in the Old Summer Palace. [Photo by Zhu Xingxin/Asianewsphoto]

"We're glad to be part of the great deed our schoolfellow brings about, to return relics to safe and professional hands," he said.

Hoyersten also believes that the collaboration opens up a new mode for cultural relics to go back to China, and "takes it to a higher level. The importance of the three parties involved cannot be underestimated".

The lost cultural treasure of China often makes headlines. In 2013, Francois-Henri Pinault, representing the Pinault family, created a sensation by returning the bronze Rat Head and Rabbit Head, also from Yuanmingyuan.

Yuanmingyuan has launched campaigns to retrieve relics scattered worldwide. According to some estimates, Yuanmingyuan alone lost more than 1.5 million relics, according to some estimates.

Song Xinchao, deputy director of the State Administration of Cultural Heritage, told Guangming Daily in a June interview that the Chinese government encourages the unconditional donation of lost relics from overseas as a sound way of returning them.

Song said China follows the international conventions on lost relics and reserves the legal right to retrieve them.

To Huang, the returned columns represent "dignity returned to Chinese people". Huang said he will further promote via the "National Treasures Coming Home" campaign he's to launch when the ceremony for the marble columns is held in September.

"I feel the donation makes my hard-earned money worthy, at least worthier than buying a private jet," Huang said. "Because the marble columns are educational and historic to the young people.

"They were our disgrace. And their returning indicates we're a stronger country now. I hope people are proud of them," Huang said.