Five highlights of the second draft of the revised Cultural Relics Protection Law

 The draft amendment to the Cultural Relics Protection Law was submitted to the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress for second deliberation on the 25th.

  In October last year, after the first draft was submitted for deliberation, it was publicly solicited for public comments. The second draft of the draft absorbs the opinions and suggestions of all parties, and clarifies the contents of strengthening the survey of cultural relics and strengthening the fire safety management of cultural relics.

Xinhua News Agency issued by Xu Jun

  Aspect 1: Strengthen the census and special investigation of cultural relics

  The survey of cultural relics is an important basic work for the development of cultural relics, and a survey of major national conditions and national strength. Since 1956, 1981 and 2007, the mainland has carried out three national cultural relics surveys. The Fourth National Cultural Heritage Survey will be launched in November 2023. In addition, the mainland has also carried out special investigations on the Great Wall and cave temples.

  The second review draft of the draft clarifies that the state should strengthen the general survey and special investigation of cultural relics, and improve the level of informatization construction of cultural relics protection. "Mainland resource legislation generally has a survey system, such as the Forest Law, the Wildlife Protection Law, etc., in the fourth national cultural relics census is in full swing, to further establish the legal status of the state to carry out cultural relics census and special survey, for the construction of a comprehensive survey, special survey, space control, dynamic monitoring combined with the cultural relics resources management system has a fundamental role." Lu Qiong, vice president and secretary general of the Chinese Cultural Heritage Society, said.

  The professional talent team is the foundation for the long-term development of cultural relics. In view of the shortcomings in the quantity, structure and quality of the mainland's cultural relics talent team, and the mismatch between the volume of cultural relics resources, the second draft clarifies that the state should increase the training of professionals in archaeology, repair, restoration and other cultural relics protection, and improve the personnel training, use, evaluation and incentive mechanisms.

  Aspect 2: Highlight and improve the protection of cultural relics related to the Communist Party of China

  Red resources are the witness of our party's arduous and glorious struggle and the most precious spiritual wealth. Strengthening legislation on the protection of revolutionary cultural relics has been an important aspect of local legislation in the field of cultural relics in recent years. According to statistics, more than 20 provinces, autonomous regions and municipalities across the country have issued local legislation on the protection and inheritance of red resources, which provides rich practice and effective exploration for strengthening legislative protection at the national level.

  In the second review draft, the general provisions added the content that "people's governments at all levels shall take measures to strengthen the protection of cultural relics related to major events, important meetings, important figures and the great spirit of party building in various historical periods of the Communist Party of China".

  "The second review draft of the draft lists a separate article on the protection of cultural relics related to the Communist Party of China, and adds the expression 'great spirit of party building', which reflects a clear legislative orientation. This provision in the second review draft of the draft has enriched the connotation of revolutionary cultural relics. Yang Jiayi, director of the Memorial Hall of the Early Beijing Revolutionary Activities of the Communist Party of China, said.

  Aspect 3: Strengthen the fire safety management of cultural relics

  Cultural relics are non-renewable cultural resources. In recent years, fires have occurred in museums and cultural relics buildings at home and abroad, resulting in serious damage to cultural relics, and the fire safety of cultural relics has attracted widespread attention from the society.

  In May this year, the State Administration of Cultural Heritage and the National Fire and Rescue Administration issued a notice on further strengthening the investigation and rectification of fire safety hazards in cultural relics, requiring all localities to quickly carry out self-examination and self-improvement of risks and hidden dangers, effectively eliminate potential safety hazards in cultural relics, effectively improve fire emergency response capabilities, increase accountability for safety accidents, and effectively enhance the awareness of fire safety of cultural relics.

  In this regard, the second review draft of the draft specifically adds relevant provisions, clarifying that the owners or users of immovable cultural relics shall strengthen the fire safety management of fire, electricity and gas, and adopt targeted fire safety measures.

  "It is of great significance to strengthen the fire safety management of immovable cultural relics by clearly increasing the fire safety responsibilities of relevant subjects and resolutely building a strong safety line of defense from the law." Zhang Kegui, a research librarian at the Palace Museum, said.

  Aspect 4: Let the cultural relics come alive

  Cultural relics carry history, reflect the present, and inspire the future. In-depth excavation of the value of cultural relics is conducive to telling Chinese stories well, promoting the creative transformation and innovative development of China's excellent traditional culture, and allowing the Chinese cultural context to continue in innovation.

  The second draft of the draft has added a number of measures to bring cultural relics to life. For example, it is stipulated that museums and other units established for the protection of immovable cultural relics shall strengthen the excavation and interpretation of the value of immovable cultural relics, and carry out targeted publicity and explanation; Encourage and support cultural relics collection units to collect and protect movable cultural relics, and carry out cultural relics exhibitions, publicity, education and scientific research activities; Those who have made significant contributions to the excavation and interpretation of the value of cultural relics shall be commended and rewarded in accordance with the relevant provisions of the State.

  Compared with the first draft of the draft, the second draft submitted for deliberation this time has significantly strengthened the attention paid to museums and cultural relics in their collections. "The second review draft of the draft stipulates that institutions for the collection of cultural relics shall improve their service conditions and improve their service levels. It is also necessary for governments at all levels and relevant competent departments to increase their support for museums, create a better policy environment, and promote museums to provide better public cultural products and high-quality services for the whole society. Liu Yanchang, Secretary of the Party Committee and Director of the Shandong Museum, said.

  Aspect 5: Encourage and support social forces to participate in the protection of cultural relics

  The protection of cultural relics is not only the business of a certain unit or institution, nor is it only the business of a certain professional group, and it requires the joint action and active participation of all parties in society.

  The second review draft clarifies that the state should improve the social participation mechanism, mobilize the enthusiasm of social forces to participate in the protection of cultural heritage, encourage and guide social forces to invest in the protection of cultural heritage, and make detailed provisions in commendation and awards, cultural relics identification, administrative management, etc., to provide institutional support for social forces to participate in the protection of cultural relics.

  "These provisions have strong practical significance, for example, citizens can put forward proposals for the verification and publication of cultural relics protection units or the registration and publication of ungraded immovable cultural relics, which will help guide the whole society to pay more attention to and participate in the fourth national cultural relics census; Fair treatment of state-owned and non-state-owned cultural relics collection units is a great encouragement to non-state-owned museum groups. Wang Yunxia, a professor at the Law School of Chinese People's University, suggested that the next step could be to make more clear provisions on tax and other policy preferences, and further improve the pattern of cultural relics work led by the government and participated by the society.

Source: Xinhuanet

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