China steps up protection of cultural relics in 2019

BEIJING — China has stepped up supervision over cultural relics protection by carrying out over 270,000 law enforcement inspections in 2019, according to the National Cultural Heritage Administration.

A total of 819 violations were found during the inspections, such as a case involving the ancient building complex in the Wudang Mountains, a World Cultural Heritage site in Central China.

The administration's "12359" reporting platform received 2,318 tips regarding violations related to cultural relics last year.

The number of cases concerning the safety of national-level cultural relics has been on the decline, but the protection work still faces challenges, the administration said.

In 2020, cultural relics protection will focus on major risks like fire, theft and excavation, said the administration, adding that it will also improve the prevention and supervision systems.