The national cultural heritage authority has vowed to make the security of cultural sites and relics a part of local governments' annual performance assessments, after Hebei Province tombs which date back to the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911) were looted twice this year.
The State Administration of Cultural Heritage (SACH) said it will also address technical problems with safeguarding cultural relics at high-profile sites including the Eastern Qing Tombs in the period of the 13th Five-Year Plan (2016-20), said a SACH official, the Beijing Times reported Wednesday.
In January, SACH summoned city officials from Tangshan and Zunhua, which is under the administration of Tangshan, after the tomb of an imperial concubine, part of the Eastern Qing Tomb complex, was looted. The authorities later recovered all 12 relics which had been stolen.
On July 25, Tangshan and Zunhua officials were again reprimanded by SACH after the tomb of Empress Xiaozhuang (1613-1688) in the complex was burgled.
The second incident took place during a "rectification period," during which local officials had been charged with investigating the theft and improving security at the site.
Tangshan officials had promised after the first incident that they would improve the relics' protection.
The Eastern Qing Tombs, located 30 kilometers northwest of Zunhua, consist of 15 mausoleums and 586 individual buildings housing the remains of 161 imperial family members, according to the Xinhua News Agency.
