By Deng Jingyin

Authorities in Shaanxi Province are trying to solve the disappearance of dozens of calligraphy works that's worth about 40 million yuan ($5.8 million).

A Chinese Business Review article said 122 valuable calligraphy works donated by a local resident to the government in 1986 are missing.

A joint investigation team was established Wednesday composed of local officials in Xianyang and the police.

The probe started after Zhuo Deng, 62, who donated the calligraphy works, done by Yu Youren, a calligraphist and writer, alleged that authorities took the works illegally.

Zhuo inherited the art from his father, who was the chief security guard of Yu, and said he does not now know the whereabouts of the art works.

The report said investigators will check archives and documents of the local com-mittee. An investigation will be launched in Sanyuan county, where the Xianyang committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference had allegedly transferred some of the scripts in 1990s.

"It is easy to check it out, but it depends on how cooperative the relevant people involved in this case are," said Shen Shusen, one of the investigators.

He claimed that all donations from Zhuo were given to Sanyuan county for an exhibition in 1990, but failed to tell the number and the authenticity of the art works.

However, the Xianyang committee had never considered holding an exhibition with Yu's calligraphy works until 1991.

Cui Dezhi, a former political consultant of Sanyuan county, confirmed that Yu's works are safe in Sanyuan. Some are kept at homes of various individuals.