China, France hold relic protection seminar

Shaanxi Provincial Cultural Relics Bureau and the French Embassy to China hosted a seminar from Nov 21 to 22 on the protection of culture and heritage at Danfeng Museum in Xi'an, the capital city of Northwest China's Shaanxi province.

The Exchange and Inspiration: Chinese and French Cultural Heritage Protection Seminar was attended by more than 200 cultural relic experts to discuss methods and experiences in the protection and management of cultural relics.

Topics for discussion at the seminar included policies and principles on heritage protection, protection of archaeological sites and typical cases of heritage protection in China and France.

With the aim of deepening mutual understanding and seeking opportunities to cooperate with each other for mutual benefit, the seminar contributed to the protection of cultural relics in China, France and the world.

The Research Institute of Preservation of Cultural Relics in Shaanxi province and the Cultural Heritage Foundation in France have pledged to cooperate in protecting the colored wood carvings of Gongshutang, a cultural relic site under state key protection.

Both sides are also considering a program for the protection of stone sculptures at Xi'an Maoling Mausoleum, the tomb of Emperor Wu of the Western Han Dynasty (206 BC-AD 24). The mausoleum is called "the Chinese Pyramid" as, among all emperor mausoleums constructed during the Western Han Dynasty, it is the largest and holds the richest collection of burial artifacts. The construction of the mausoleum took the longest time - 53 years.