On the morning of the 24th, the Propaganda Department of the CPC Central Committee held a series of news conferences themed “China’s Decade” to introduce relevant information on promoting the high-quality development of culture and tourism in the new era. Jin Ruiguo, director of the Department of Policies and Regulations of the State Administration of Cultural Relics, pointed out at the meeting that China’s cultural relics cause has made historic achievements since the 18th National Congress.
At the meeting, a reporter asked: In recent years, visiting museums and cultural relics has gradually become a way of life for Chinese people, and this phenomenon is also a manifestation of the development of Chinese cultural relics. What achievements have been made in the protection and utilization of Chinese cultural relics in the past decade?
Jin Ruiguo introduced that since the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, China’s cultural relics industry has made historic achievements:
First, the awareness of cultural relics protection has been continuously deepened, and the overall service has achieved remarkable results. The concepts of “sticking to protection first”, “protecting cultural relics is also a political achievement” and “making cultural relics alive” have been deeply rooted in the hearts of the people. The 19th National Congress of the Communist Party of China and the Fifth and Sixth Plenary Sessions of the 19th Central Committee made an overall plan to strengthen the protection and utilization of cultural relics. The Central Committee issued six special policy documents. The 14th Five Year Plan for cultural relics protection and scientific and technological innovation was included in the national special development plan for the first time. 27 provincial people’s governments included cultural relics safety in the assessment and evaluation system.
Second, the protection of cultural relics continued to increase, and the protection situation was effectively improved. We completed the first national survey of movable cultural relics and the special survey of grotto temples, and announced two groups of key cultural relics under national protection, totaling 5058. The number of cultural relics under national protection, provincial protection, and municipal and county-level protection increased by 115%, 58%, and 88% respectively. Major cultural relics protection projects such as the Great Wall, the Grand Canal, the Silk Road, and traditional villages have been completed successively. Preventive protection and systematic protection have been actively promoted. Tens of thousands of precious cultural relics in the museum collection Important unearthed cultural relics have been salvaged and repaired. The long-term mechanism of strict prevention, strict management and strict control of cultural relics has been improved. Important achievements have been made in cracking down on cultural relics crimes, investigating and dealing with legal persons’ violations, and rectifying fire hazards. The safety situation of cultural relics is generally good.
Third, the reform of cultural relics museums continued to advance and their influence increased significantly. A modern museum system featuring rich types, diversified subjects and equal benefits has basically taken shape. There are 6183 registered museums nationwide, with a free opening rate of 91%. The number of exhibitions held annually has increased by 144%, and the number of visitors received has increased by 119%. Exhibitions such as “Great American Asia”, “Eight Great Masters in Tang and Song Dynasties”, “Everlasting Treasures” and “Why China” have become social and cultural hotspots. TV programs such as National Treasures, If National Treasures Can Speak, Chinese Archaeological Congress, and New Voice of Ancient Charm have exploded into large screens and small screens. Visiting museums has become a new social trend. The protection and utilization project of revolutionary cultural relics was further implemented to help fight poverty, revitalize old areas, and educate the four histories. The CPC History Exhibition Hall and the CPC Memorial Hall for Early Revolutionary Activities in Beijing were completed and opened. We will support and guide people to collect cultural relics, and optimize supervision over the entry and exit of cultural relics and consultation services for cultural relics identification. The total number of China’s world heritage sites has reached 56. Joint Chinese and foreign archaeology has gradually become a large-scale project. Cross border cultural relics protection cooperation has been steadily carried out. Cultural relics have been exhibited in a variety of colorful ways. Highlights of the recovery and return of lost cultural relics have emerged frequently. More than 1800 pieces (sets) of overseas cultural relics have returned to the motherland. Cultural relics have become the “golden card” for promoting cultural exchanges and mutual learning.
Fourth, the ability to control cultural relics has been continuously enhanced and the level of control has been constantly improved. The State Council promulgated the Regulations on Museums, revised the Regulations on the Protection and Administration of Underwater Cultural Relics, promulgated more than 200 local cultural relics protection regulations, and issued and implemented 113 national and industrial standards in the field of cultural relics protection. The scientific and technological innovation ability of cultural relics has been significantly improved, and the technical level of ancient mural protection, pottery painting cultural relics protection, water saturated lacquer wood protection, environmental monitoring and regulation of cultural relics in the collection has entered the international first echelon. The culture and museum talents training system is more sound. Cultural relics and archaeological institutions will be generally strengthened, and archaeological field subsidies will be significantly increased.