Replicas of the 12 Zodiac antiquities of the Old Summer Palace in Beijing, donated by Rush Hour star Jackie Chan for display at the Taipei Palace Museum, have been spray painted by two unidentified suspects, according to Chinese state media.

Two unidentified suspects - a male and a female - reportedly spray painted two of the 12 bronze animal heads red. A police complaint has already been filed by the museum, and authorities have vowed to take legal actions against the people responsible for the vandalizing act.

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The culprits sprayed the heads of the horse and dragon red and wrote in Chinese characters "cultural united front." The phrase stems from a campaign launched by the mainland to unite Taiwan and China.

An investigation is currently ongoing into the incident. However, the museum personnel has refuted any connection between politics and the donation explaining that the zodiac replicas are more about appreciating cultural relics and preserving legacy.  

The original pieces, built in a water fountain in the Old Summer Palace in Beijing, were stolen during the Opium War in the 1800s. Although seven of these statues have been returned, five are still unaccounted for.

Chan was reportedly fascinated after he read the history of the statues in 2000 and starred in the film "Chinese Zodiac," which depicts a team of treasure hunters on a global quest to redeem the lost artifacts. He later put together a team of researchers and experts to make replicas of the bronze pieces. Chan has admitted that he was very careful in choosing who will receive the antiquities.

Meanwhile, Taiwan's National Palace Museum has been criticized by lawmakers and scholars for displaying the replicas Chan donated in the courtyard of the museum in Chiayi County on Monday. 

"It is unthinkable that the NPM has overlooked the value of the zodiac sculptures as tools in China's 'united front' strategy," said Wu Mi-Cha, former director of the National Museum of Taiwan History.

In response, NPM director Feng Ming-chu has said that the donated replicas "have nothing to do with any 'united front' tactics." 

TagsZodiac relics, Taipei Palace Museum, Taiwan