A 20 Million Won Ceramic Broken by a Child's Mistake... How Did the Museum Respond?

Museum Side "Full Compensation Waived"
"Museum Should Have Protected Exhibits" Criticism Also Raised

At the National Museum in Shandong Province, China, a child accidentally broke a ceramic vase worth 20 million won, but the museum did not hold the child responsible and forgave the incident.

A ceramic piece broken by a child. [Photo source = Screenshot from a video cited in Chinese news]

On the 5th (local time), Chinese media including Guangming Online reported that a child visiting the Zibo National Art and Culture Museum in Shandong Province with their family broke a ceramic flower vase worth 116,000 yuan (21.92 million won). The vase was not a cultural relic and was displayed without a protective case.

Upon realizing that the child had broken the vase, the family reportedly exclaimed, "The younger sibling is in trouble again," and "This is a disaster." However, contrary to the family's concerns, the museum stated, "It is regrettable that the vase was broken, but the child did not do it intentionally, and we are relieved that the child was not hurt. The compensation is fully waived," thus forgiving the incident.

This incident became a major topic locally. Until the 4th, the phrase "A child broke a vase worth about 120,000 yuan but was fully exempted from compensation" appeared in the portal's real-time search rankings. Positive reactions followed the museum's handling of the situation. Hubei media Jimu News commented, "Tolerance and forgiveness are important values."

Some pointed out that the museum did not properly protect the exhibit while displaying it. Beijing media Xinjingbao stated, "The responsibility lies with the museum," and evaluated that "The museum should strengthen inspections of exhibition preparations and take this as an opportunity to pay attention to protecting exhibits and ensuring visitor safety."