Revised law better protects cultural relics(2)

Penalties act as deterrent

Another notable change is the significant escalation in administrative penalties for the destruction of cultural relics. The maximum fine for damaging cultural heritage has been increased from 500,000 yuan ($68,790) to 10 million yuan, a revision that should effectively discourage illegal damage.

For Song Yan, deputy director of the Nanjing Museum Administration and also a deputy to the 14th National People's Congress, it is noteworthy that the revision frequently emphasizes the protection of ungraded "immovable" cultural relics and clearly outlines specific protective measures.

According to the third national census on cultural relics in China, conducted from 2007 to 2011, the country has more than 766,000 immovable cultural heritage sites, such as historical monuments, ancient architecture and rock carvings, among which 80 percent remained ungraded. The revision makes it clear that they should also be effectively protected.

"These detailed provisions could potentially enhance the broader protection and management of these immovable cultural relics," said Song.

She also said the revision added numerous regulations and guidelines related to her work in the museum, especially regarding the effective utilization of cultural relics collected by museums. This responds to Xi's call for making cultural relics "alive", an instruction reflected in the revision.

Last year, the Nanjing Museum Administration held 40 exhibitions and conducted more than 1,200 educational activities. Centered around the theme "Growing Up in the Museum", it has introduced 108 exciting activities for teenagers, including exhibitions, educational programs, study tours and summer camps.

Song's team also collaborated with primary and middle schools to offer innovative experiences for students, aiming to attract more young people to visit the museum and learn about the culture behind the relics.

"The law encourages us to offer good services to a wider audience. We now need to train more professional staff to deal with the increasing public demand," Song said.

Wei Xiaolong, director of the Famen Temple Museum in Baoji, Shaanxi province, said he was impressed by the revision's emphasis on the use of high technology in research work, relics protection, digital collection and immersive shows.

The emphasis is indeed very instructive, providing some direction for the development of museums in the new era," he said.

The museum has many antique pieces made from delicate and fragile materials such as silk, wood and glass, particularly from the Tang Dynasty (618-907). Wei hopes to use high technology to better protect them, and the revision clearly supports such measures.

As the newly revised law facilitates international exchanges and cooperation in archaeological work, restoration, exhibitions, scientific research, law enforcement and judicial matters related to cultural relics protection, it also asserts the right to repatriate lost cultural relics and actively fulfills obligations under international conventions.

Wei noted that the law also explicitly prohibits the trade of cultural relics that are stolen or illegally obtained. It strengthens the regulation of companies involved in the sale and auction of cultural relics, requiring them to meet information disclosure obligations and banning false advertising.

Wei said this will help clean up the cultural relics market and reduce the risks associated with the legality of the sources of relics that are collected by museums.

"The new law also encourages individuals or organizations to donate or lend cultural relics to museums for the first time. We need to thoroughly review these new revisions to better carry out museum work," Wei said.