East China's Shandong province released a plan to improve the protection, management and utilization of the province's ancient cultural relics and buildings, which will be a key task for Shandong this year, according to news released on Jan 18.

Shandong has an abundance of cultural resources with rich intangible cultural heritage items. In recent years, the province has launched a wide range of themed activities to pass on fine traditional Chinese culture, and innovative ways have been explored to protect key cultural relics.

Wang Lei, head of the Shandong Provincial Department of Culture and Tourism said at the news conference that the province will cooperate with the Department of Natural Resources of Shandong Province to make full use of technologies such as satellite remote sensing to carry out protecting cultural relics of the Qi Great Wall and national protection units along the Grand Canal.

A comprehensive project to research the origin of Chinese civilization will be launched this year with the promotion of a number of archaeological projects, which will contribute to the conservation of archaeological heritage and preservation of cultural diversity, according to Wang.

Wang added that efforts will also be made to strengthen the protection and utilization of national archaeological ruins parks such as the Qufu Ancient City of the State of Lu from the Spring and Autumn period (770-476 BC). A total of 20 archaeological ruins parks above the provincial level will be built by the end of the 14th Five-Year Plan (2021-25) period.

Shandong will put its emphasis on promoting the integrated development of culture and tourism this year, and new trends of tourism will be developed including rural tourism, leisure agriculture tourism, and coastal and marine tourism to explore more superior tourism resources.

Archaeologists have excavated 12 ancient tombs dating back to the Yuan Dynasty (1271-1368) in East China's Shandong province. [Photo/chinanews]