Titled Escape from the British Museum, the three-part series from two Chinese social media influencers tell the story of a jade teapot coming alive and taking a human form as she tries to escape from the museum.
BBC said the teapot is a real artefact - and relatively recent addition to the British Museum. It was made in 2011 by a Chinese artist who specialises in intricate jade carvings.
Though not exactly a cultural relic, the delicate technique used in the making of the pot is a craft unique to China and that has resonated with the Chinese public.
In a further jibe at the museum, it interpreted the jade teapot’s surprise at the size of the journalist’s residence as depicting the “casual attitude of the British Museum toward Chinese cultural relics, as many of them are crammed into one cabinet for exhibition”.
《独立报》更是倒打一耙,称中国方面呼吁文物回家的正当合理行为,是对前英国财政大臣乔治·奥斯本“嗤之以鼻”(thumbing its nose at his remarks)的表现,因为这位大英博物馆董事会主席在政府任职期间对华友好,曾呼吁中英建立更紧密的关系,开启“中英合作的黄金十年”。
The Independent reported the success of the series has sparked calls for the return of Chinese artefacts showcased in the British Museum, where former UK chancellor George Osborne sits as chair of the board of trustees.
As chancellor Mr Osborne pushed for closer ties between Britain and China, calling on a visit to Shanghai in 2015 for the founding of a “golden decade for the UK-China relationship”.
The British Museum has long argued that it's in the best position to protect such treasures, but critics say the latest thefts show this argument no longer applies.