A bronze statue of a tiger head is showcased at the Cixi Poly Art Museum in Ningbo, East China's Zhejiang province. [Photo/Ningbo Evening News]

An exhibition featuring four bronze statutes of Chinese zodiac animals opened in Cixi, a county-level city in Ningbo, East China's Zhejiang province on Dec 27.

The four bronze sculptures on display depict the heads of an ox, a tiger, a monkey and a pig. They were originally part of a set of 12 Chinese zodiac sculptures from a water-clock fountain in Yuanmingyuan, or the Old Summer Palace. The sculptures were looted by British and French troops in 1860 during the Opium Wars before they were returned to China in 2003.

In addition to the four national treasures, the exhibition also features more than 10 stone Buddha statues and dozens of gilt bronze Buddha statues from the Wei, Jin, and Southern and Northern dynasties (220-589) as well as hundreds of contemporary art works.

Admission to the exhibition, which will run until Jan 10, is free. 

Reservations can be made via the WeChat account of the Cixi Poly Art Museum, according to the organizers.

A bronze statue of a monkey head is showcased at the Cixi Poly Art Museum in Ningbo, East China's Zhejiang province. [Photo/Ningbo Evening News]