FILE: Greece - Aug 8, 2019 (CCTV - No access Chinese mainland)
1. Various of Parthenon Temple, tourists

FILE: Athens, Greece - July 30, 2021 (CGTN - No access Chinese mainland)
2. Various of Parthenon Temple

London, UK - Recent (CGTN - No access Chinese mainland)
3. SOUNDBITE (English) Michael Wood, British historian, documentary film-maker (ending with shots 4-10):
"The marbles were taken by lord Elgin 200 years ago when Greece was an occupied country, part of the Ottoman Empire. And even at the time, in parliament, there were people who said that we can only have them on trust and we should give them back when Greece becomes again an independent country. And the majority of the population of Britain, according to all the polls, two thirds of people support their return. So, I think there's an overwhelming case, an especially overwhelming (case), but the marbles are divided between Athens and London. So, we can't see them as a whole because part of them are in London. So, they should all go back to Athens, and I think if they do all go back to Athens, it could be a great plus for the British Museum. It claims to be the museum of the world."

FILE: London, UK - April 7, 2023 (CCTV - No access Chinese mainland)
4. Name of "British Museum" on wall

FILE: London, UK - Aug 2023 (CGTN - No access Chinese mainland)
5. Statues on building of museum

FILE: London, UK - Exact Date Unknown (CGTN - No access Chinese mainland)
6. Visitor walking into British Museum
7. Entryway
8. Sign reading "Your journey starts here"
9. Various of visitors walking
10. Various of showroom, exhibits
11. Various of exhibits in museum, people taking pictures, resting

London, UK - Recent (CGTN - No access Chinese mainland)
12. SOUNDBITE (English) Michael Wood, British historian, documentary film-maker (starting with shots 10-11/ending with shots 13-14):
" It would be setting a great precedent. Most museums across the world are not stacked with loot from the colonial era, most museums are not. There’s been quite a few restitutions, for instance, of the Benin bronzes to Nigeria that were all stolen by the British in the military expedition of 1897. We could talk about China. What about the loot that was taken from the British sacking of the Summer Palace, pieces of which regularly turn up in auction these days. I think each case on its merits, and nobody's calling for full restitution of everything. The British Museum's got 100,000 pieces from Greece. The Greeks aren't asking for all those back, they're only asking for the Parthenon marbles, because of their importance as symbols of Greek civilization, and I think it would be a wonderful gesture (to return them)."

FILE: Athens, Greece - 2021 (CCTV - No access Chinese mainland)
13. Exhibits in museum
14. Various of showroom, visitors taking pictures in front of Parthenon Marbles

The Parthenon artifacts are significant symbols of the Greek civilization, and it would be a wonderful gesture for the British Museum to return them, said a British historian.

Michael Wood is a British historian and documentary filmmaker. He is also the author of several highly praised books on English history including In Search of the Dark Ages, Domesday, and In Search of England.

Wood said in an interview with China Global Television Network (CGTN) that the majority of people in the UK support the return of the Greek relics, and returning them would benefit the British Museum as well.

"The marbles were taken by lord Elgin 200 years ago when Greece was an occupied country, part of the Ottoman Empire. And even at the time, in parliament, there were people who said that we can only have them on trust and we should give them back when Greece becomes again an independent country. And the majority of the population of Britain, according to all the polls, two thirds of people support their return. So, I think there's an overwhelming case, an especially overwhelming (case), but the marbles are divided between Athens and London. So, we can't see them as a whole because part of them are in London. So, they should all go back to Athens, and I think if they do all go back to Athens, it could be a great plus for the British Museum. It claims to be the museum of the world," he said.

The historian stressed how positive an impact it would be for museums to return stolen artifacts to their rightful owners, noting various other pieces that appear in exhibitions and private collections around the world.

"It would be setting a great precedent. Most museums across the world are not stacked with loot from the colonial era, most museums are not. There’s been quite a few restitutions, for instance, of the Benin bronzes to Nigeria that were all stolen by the British in the military expedition of 1897. We could talk about China. What about the loot that was taken from the British sacking of the Summer Palace, pieces of which regularly turn up in auction these days. I think each case on its merits, and nobody's calling for full restitution of everything. The British Museum's got 100,000 pieces from Greece. The Greeks aren't asking for all those back, they're only asking for the Parthenon marbles, because of their importance as symbols of Greek civilization, and I think it would be a wonderful gesture (to return them)," he said.