China launched more than 7,000 exhibitions and cultural activities and over 3,400 public service programs across the country to celebrate Cultural and Natural Heritage Day on Saturday, highlighting growing public participation in heritage preservation.
According to the National Cultural Heritage Administration, China will complete its Fourth National Cultural Relics Survey in 2026. A three-year conservation initiative has better safeguarded 2,193 ancient covered bridges across the country. Major archaeological projects have also maintained steady progress.
Currently, there are 7,188 registered museums in China, which have welcomed more than 4 billion visits over the past five years, according to Rao Quan, director of the National Cultural Heritage Administration.
The main celebration was held at the Panlongcheng site in Wuhan, Hubei province, under the theme "Cultural Relics Belong to the People and Serve the People".
The exhibition Tracing Xia And Shang opens in the Panlongcheng Site Museum on June 13 as a key event for the celebration of Cultural and Natural Heritage Day in Wuhan, Hubei province. [Photo by Li Bo/for chinadaily.com.cn]
The Panlongcheng site, one of the most important settlement of the Xia (c.21st to 16th century BC) and Shang (c.16th to 11th century BC) dynasties discovered in the Yangtze River Basin, is regarded as a key source of Wuhan's urban civilization.
A special exhibition, Tracing Xia And Shang, opened at the Panlongcheng Site Museum on the same day. Bringing together 163 cultural relics from 35 museums and cultural institutions nationwide, the exhibition highlights historical exchanges between the Yangtze River Basin and the Central Plains, reflecting the diversity and unity of Chinese civilization.
During the opening ceremony, 20 exemplary cases of high-quality development in the cultural heritage sector were unveiled, while 10 grassroots cultural relic guardians were recognized for their outstanding contributions to heritage protection.
The ceremony also marked the launch of Cultural Heritage: Global Call for Submissions, an initiative jointly organized by the National Cultural Heritage Administration and China Daily. The program invites photography and video submissions on cultural heritage themes from around the world. The submission will be open until the end of September.
In addition, a range of new media projects, including films, documentaries and lecture series, were introduced to further enhance public understanding and appreciation of cultural heritage.
Since its launch in 2006 and its renaming in 2017, Cultural and Natural Heritage Day has become an important platform for promoting heritage conservation and raising public awareness. Every year, museums and cultural institutions across China organize a wide range of activities to encourage public participation in preserving and passing on the nation's rich cultural legacy.
