The Dahecun Archaeological Site in Zhengzhou, Henan province dates from approximately 4800 BC to 1500 BC. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]
Henan province announced plans to establish a comprehensive provincial database of cultural heritage resources and support the cities in becoming national models for cultural relic preservation during its government work report delivered on Monday at the opening of the fourth session of the 14th Henan Provincial People's Congress.
The report reviewed cultural achievements in 2025, including the opening of new landmarks like the Yinxu Museum in Anyang and the Dahecun Site Museum in Zhengzhou, the provincial capital. The province's culture-tourism integration initiative proved successful, drawing over 1.1 billion tourist visits and generating more than 1 trillion yuan ($144 billion) in revenue.
The Dahecun Archaeological Site in Zhengzhou, Henan province dates from approximately 4800 BC to 1500 BC. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]
Looking ahead, the report set goals for the 15th Five-Year Plan period (2026–30), emphasizing cultural prosperity and equitable development. It specifically called for supporting Luoyang as an international cultural tourism destination and urged Nanyang to strengthen its urban and county-level economies.
To fuel this growth, representatives at the congress proposed leveraging modern technology. Cao Yongbin, a deputy to the Henan Provincial People's Congress, advocated for digitizing Henan's cultural resources to create new industries. Liu Yunlai, a political adviser for the Henan Provincial Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, stressed revitalizing core heritage like Heluo culture through technology. "In the AI era, cross-sector integration is the new normal," Liu said, suggesting local culture be adapted into popular formats like short videos for interactive engagement with younger audiences.
A Dragon-shaped object inlaid with turquoise at the Erlitou Site in Luoyang, Henan province. [Photo by Li Xin/for chinadaily.com.cn]
The focus also turned to preserving specific art forms. Sun Jie, another political adviser, highlighted the immeasurable value of Yu Opera and suggested Kaifeng leverage its unique Song Dynasty (960-1279) heritage to build a distinctive cultural brand.
On the ground, practical measures are being prioritized. Dai Jianzeng, deputy director of Dahecun National Archaeological Site Park, stated efforts would focus on amplifying protection for Yangshao Culture sites, improving environmental monitoring, and initiating safeguards for newly discovered relics.
Finally, the report underscored the importance of practicing core socialist values, advancing spiritual civilization in urban and rural areas, and raising public civility to improve public cultural services.
