WUHAN, May 24 (Xinhua) -- Over the past 20 years, more than 100,000 antique items originally held in China have returned to the country after being bought at auction, Zhang Yanhua, chief of China Association of Auctioneers, said Thursday.

Among these items, more than 30 were obtained by China`s top museums, said Zhang at a national publicity event on art market legal issues in Wuhan, capital of central China`s Hubei province.

During past centuries, tens of millions of antique items have been taken out of China. Many Chinese, stimulated by their patriotism, have bought them back through auction.