Four American Christians who had more than 300 Bibles confiscated by Chinese customs officials said they got them back when they returned to the airport Wednesday to leave the country.

Members of Vision Beyond Borders had planned to give away the Chinese language Bibles, but were told that the communist nation forbids importing religious items for other than personal use.

The group's director, Patrick Klein, said Chinese officials gave back the group's 315 Bibles when the Americans returned to Kunming airport to board their flight to Thailand.

In China, Bibles are printed at just one plant, run by a government-backed Christian association for use in officially sanctioned churches.

Klein said his group encountered the real China that viewers of the Beijing Olympics aren't seeing.