Int'l Symposium on Heritage Protection OpensExperts from China and world organizations wednesday convened at Beijing's Palace Museum to discuss solutions to the dilemma of how to promote rapid urbanization and heritage protection at the same time.The symposium, "China -- Cultural Heritage Management and Urban Development: Challenge and Opportunity," is the first of its kind in China, a 5,000-year-old country which is undergoing breakneck urban construction amid an economic boom. At the symposium's opening ceremony, Minister of Culture Sun Jiazheng said that the growing population and accelerating urbanization process in China are gradually eroding its traditional cultural environment. Sun said that the holding of the symposium itself shows the resolution of the Chinese government to properly preserve the country's treasured heritage while speeding up economic development. Zhang Wenbin, director of the State Cultural Heritage Administration (SCHA), suggested establishing a joint meeting of administrative bodies concerned with relics protection and urban landscaping. Some cities in China have organized experts to provide consultations for urban development policy-making bodies, Zhang said. Discussions during the symposium are expected to focus on the establishment of cultural heritage lists, the planning and protection of historical sites, rational use of ancient buildings and sites, and the relationship between relics protection and tourism promotion. A document on relics protection and urban development may be issued after the meeting, said an official with the SCHA. Statistics show that China now boasts 400,000 relics sites, including 750 sites under the state's top protection. A total of 23 cultural relics sites and scenic spots in China have been included in world heritage list of the United States Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization. |
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