Restoration of the San Xing Dui relics which were damaged by the Wenchuan earthquake last year, is nearing completion. Experts say that the earthquake provided the impetus to launch an overall restoration, one that includes those pieces unearthed shortly before the quake.

The team of experts is racing against time in its mission to clean and repair the damaged pieces. The restored relics are to be ready for the public to see by the end of this month. Six pottery pieces dating back to the Shang and Zhou dynasties from around three thousand years ago, are the focus of the task.

The China Relic Protection Foundation which is responsible for the restoration work, will seek no payment from the museum.

Yu Yang, Director of China Relic Protection Foundation, said, "We've just finished restoring this piece. It dates back three to four thousand years. It broke into thirty to forty pieces during the quake. The high-tech materials and techniques we've used guarantees the restoration will not destroy the relic's unique qualities."

The director of the San Xing Dui Museum, Zhang Yaohui, says the next step will be to restore the pieces found just before the quake.

San Xing Dui is the most important archeological site in Sichuan Province. It traces civilization in southwest China to before the Shang dynasty or as far back as three millenniums.