China aims to continue the promotion of cultural heritage conservation

Source:<https://whc.unesco.org/en/events/1694/>

At the CPC's 20^th National Congress on Oct 16 2022, a report delivered by Xi Jinping, the general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, suggested that China will put more efforts into the conservation of cultural relics and cultural heritage, and into strengthening the protection and inheritance of history and culture in urban and rural construction. This report affirmed the significant achievements of cultural agendas over the past decade. It said that China will promote cultural confidence and strength and further glorify socialist culture.

Over the past decade, a series of policies have been launched, such as the guidelines promoting the reform and development of museums, the implementation of archaeological work outlined in the 14^th Five-Year Plan, and the plan for Great Wall protection. These policies have provided specific guidance on heritage sectors. Since 2013, the National Cultural Heritage Administration (NCHA), together with over 20 related organizations, has issued more than 80 policy documents. These documents cover a wide range of heritage agendas, including the management of cultural heritage resources, cultural heritage security, archaeological management, revolutionary cultural relics, and museum reform and development.

Local governments also continue to pay more attention to cultural heritage work by issuing relative policies and guidelines. Thirty-one provincial-level regions have launched policies targeting the reform of heritage conservation. Cultural heritage safety has also been involved in local government assessment systems. Meanwhile, 18 have included heritage conservation in the scope of public interest litigation.

According to the NCHA, the prioritization of cultural heritage safety and the improvement of the inspection mechanisms also have been carried out over the past 10 years. Collaborating closely with cultural heritage security departments, the safety of heritage continues to enhance. To date, the administration has handled over 5,000 cases involving the illegal possession of cultural relics. They also directed public security offices to investigate 10,000 relic-related crimes and meanwhile recovered 150,000 items. It has also cooperated with fire departments to protect heritage assets against over 200,000 hazardous events at heritage sites.

Sources:<https://www.chinadaily.com.cn/a/202211/02/WS6361c16ba310fd2b29e7fc97.html>

Edited by Liang Xiuchun