Inner Mongolia launches first national archaeological park

Inner Mongolia's first national archaeological park, the Shangjing Ruins National Archaeological Park, was unveiled in Baarin Left Banner in North China's Inner Mongolia autonomous region on June 10.

It was announced during the opening ceremony of Inner Mongolia's main venue for cultural heritage preservation, coinciding with National Cultural and Natural Heritage Day.

Speaking at the event, Dong Xinlin, leader of the Shangjing archaeological team and a researcher from the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, stated: "It's a milestone for the Shangjing Ruins National Archaeological Park. More importantly, it is necessary to protect these large ruins, apply for World Cultural Heritage status, and help more people understand the value of Shangjing in order to realize its true value."

The park, spanning 713 hectares, plays a range of roles such as cultural relics preservation, ecological conservation, scientific research and education, and leisure and entertainment. Its core mission is to protect, interpret, display, and inherit Liao culture.

Moving forward, in accordance with the principle of combining the protection and utilization of cultural relics and heritage sites, the park is poised to become a comprehensive tourism destination that integrates archaeological research and study, leisure and entertainment, and sightseeing.

On the afternoon of June 10, the first Shangjing Forum was held. This was followed by the signing ceremony of the Ancient Capital Archaeological Site Park Alliance, which saw the representatives from 10 archaeological sites across eight provinces, autonomous regions, and municipalities in China come together in unity.