China issues circular on state-level cultural heritage protection

BEIJING — Local authorities across the country are to take up primary responsibility in the establishment and management of "state reserves of cultural ecology", according to a circular released by China's Ministry of Culture and Tourism.

"State reserves of cultural ecology" are areas of historical and cultural significance and are well preserved. The reserves, established with the consent of the ministry, aim to protect intangible cultural heritage.

The circular called for the implementation of a regulation on the management of such reserves that took effect on March 1.

An evaluation system that monitors the construction of the reserves shall be set up, the circular said, adding that the evaluation results must be reported to the ministry on time.

Should the ministry find that a cultural ecology in a reserve has been damaged, the case will be seriously handled and the license of the reserve will be withdrawn by the ministry.

Since 2007, a total of 21 reserves have been founded during the trial run of the project.