China has progressed by leaps and bounds in its scientific and technological work related to cultural relics, as People's Daily learned at an inaugural national working conference. Particularly, since the implementation of "rejuvenating the country with science and education" with strengthened management and increased funding, China's has developed rapidly in this field. During the ninth Five-Year Period (1996-2000), the fund for research on preserving cultural relics rose from 0.3 million yuan per year during the previous period to 4.5 million yuan in 2000 and nine million yuan in 2004.

Progress has been seen since the founding of new China with a batch of research institutions established, specialized teams and effective operation mechanism formed and a lot of significant research and technology-applying projects completed.

In the early days of new China, staff in cultural relics rescued large amount of valuable cultural relics. Successful examples were: the investigation and protection of cultural relics at Sanmenxia Project Reservoir, movement of Yongle Palace in Ruicheng City, Shanxi Province and the stone carvings in Hanzhong, Shaanxi Province, and the disclosing and protection of the tomb murals of Tang Dynasty (618-907). In the 1960s and 1970s, China formulated the plan on the development of science and technology for protecting cultural relics for the period from 1963 to 1972 and established related institute. Various localities also established laboratories and actively developed international exchanges in the field. A batch of veteran experts devoted themselves to the deed and laid a sound foundation for future work.

A series of significant archeological discoveries greatly promoted the scientific and technological work for cultural relics. In 1972, a national highlight was the successful excavation and preservation of the cultural relics at the Mawangdui Tombs of Han Dynasty (206 BC - 220 AD). The paintings on silk, wooden slips, silk works and lacquerworks there were acquired and protected.

Scientific and technological achievements are an important guarantee. Among the scientific and technological achievements made in protecting cultural relics, eight won national awards and 118 won those awarded by the Ministry of Culture and State Cultural Relic Bureau.

Shan Jixiang, head of the State Cultural Relic Bureau pointed out that China's cultural relics protection still has a lot to do as compared with developed countries and other fields. Nowadays China's cultural relics protection is troubled with weak awareness, slow progress, inadequate basic research and strategic research, lagging planning, slow discipline construction as well as shortage of specialized talents.

Mr. Shan advocated a full play of various organizations and academic societies and a wider social participation. The Conference summed up the achievements and experience in the past and drew up a mid and long-term plan for the development of cultural relics science and technology.

By People's Daily Online