China will further enhance the protection of its cultural and natural heritage and improve its conservation capacity and standards, said Rao Quan, Vice Minister of Culture and Tourism of China, on Friday.
Rao made the remarks during UNESCO's 47th session of the World Heritage Committee held in Paris, at which China's Xixia Imperial Tombs were inscribed on the World Heritage List.
With this addition, the total number of World Heritage sites in China has reached 60.
"The Xixia culture exemplified by the Xixia Imperial Tombs is integral to the pluralistic and integrated civilization of the Chinese nation, holding significant importance in broader human civilization. The Chinese government will further improve the heritage protection framework, advance archaeological research, strengthen monitoring mechanism and increase public engagement to ensure the sustainable inheritance of the Xixia Imperial Tombs' values and jointly protect the cultural treasures that belong to all of humanity," said Rao, who is also head of China's National Cultural Heritage Administration.
The Xixia Imperial Tombs are located at the foot of the Helan Mountain in the city of Yinchuan, the capital of northwest China's Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region.
They are a group of imperial burial sites from the Xixia Dynasty (Western Xia, 1038-1227), founded by the Tangut people during the 11th to 13th centuries.
Covering an area of nearly 40 square kilometers, the site comprises four types of architectural remains: nine imperial mausoleums, 271 subordinate tombs, a northern architectural complex spanning 0.05 square kilometers, and 32 flood control works.
The Xixia Imperial Tombs are the largest, highest-ranked, and most intact archaeological site from the Xixia period that has survived to the present day.
According to the World Heritage Committee, the site is a testament to the cultural fusion and interactions of diverse traditions. It also bears witness to the unique role of the Xixia Dynasty in cultural and commercial exchanges along the Silk Roads during the 11th to 13th centuries.
The Committee commended the efforts and achievements made by the Chinese government in protecting and managing the cultural heritage of the Xixia Imperial Tombs.
Tao Shaohua, mayor of Yinchuan, also emphasized China's commitment to protecting cultural heritage.
"We will align with international standards, strengthen the protection and utilization of cultural heritage, and comprehensively elevate our capabilities and levels in protection management, historical research, value interpretation, and revitalization and utilization of the heritage to make this world cultural heritage resonate with the spirit of our times," he said.
The site was accidentally discovered in the 1930s by German pilot Wulf-Dieter Castell. It was later recognized as one of China's top archaeological finds of the 20th century.
China to further enhance protection of cultural heritage: official
