China News Service:

Mr. Guan just introduced the important progress of the "Archaeology China" program. Could you elaborate on China's archaeological work? What specific measures will be taken to deepen institutional reforms in archaeology in the future? Thank you.

Guan Qiang:

Thank you for your questions. In recent years, the NCHA has made significant efforts to advance the development of archaeology with distinct Chinese features, style and ethos, achieving many important milestones. The project to trace the origins of Chinese civilization has proposed a Chinese plan for defining civilization and identifying what constitutes a civilized society, contributing original insights to the study of the origins of world civilization. Eighteen major "Archaeology China" programs have been advanced in a coordinated manner, and over 990 independent archaeological projects have been carried out in an orderly fashion during the 14th Five-Year Plan period. Significant archaeological discoveries, such as Yunxian Man, Piluo, Liangzhu, Erlitou, and the Sanxingdui sites, have demonstrated China's million-year history of human activity, 10,000 years of cultural history, and over 5,000 years of recorded civilization. Sites like Yunxian Man, Taosi and Liangzhu have been included in middle school history textbooks. Additionally, joint archaeological efforts with Arab and African nations have been promoted, continuously expanding the influence of Chinese archaeology.

A major breakthrough has been achieved in deep-sea archaeology on the northwest continental slope of the South China Sea, with a special exhibition set to launch in the next two days. More than 180,000 precious cultural relics have been salvaged and preserved from the Nanhai No.1 Shipwreck. The Yangtze River Estuary No. 2 Shipwreck has been entirely salvaged and protected, with the second phase of its protection project also launching in two days. China's underwater archaeology technology and equipment have reached a world-class level. The implementation of a policy requiring archaeological surveys and explorations to be conducted before land transfers in 24 provinces and equivalent administrative units has effectively ensured the protection of major national construction projects. This includes significant initiatives such as the Xiong'an New Area and Beijing's sub-center, advancing protection and development in parallel. There are currently 55 national archaeological parks across the country, and 80 units have registered projects. Several site museums, including those at Sanxingdui, Shimao, Yinxu and Qigexing Buddhist Temples, have been completed and opened to the public, becoming important centers for cultural exchange and the inheritance of civilization.

In the next step, the NCHA will diligently implement the guiding principles of the third plenary session of the 20th CPC Central Committee and further advance institutional reform for archaeology. We will focus on researching major historical issues and launch a research project on the civilization of the Xia and Shang dynasties. We just established the Xia and Shang Civilization Archaeological Research Center, with the foundation stone laid two days ago in Luoyang. We will promote the integration of multidisciplinary and cross-regional expertise and resources, strengthen the application of scientific and technological support, and deepen the study of the history of Chinese civilization.

We will advance the construction of world-class archaeological institutions and implement the national plan to cultivate archaeological talent. We will comprehensively promote academic research, international cooperation, management innovation, and team building, systematically enhancing the professional, scientific, international, and modern development of Chinese archaeology.

Additionally, we will continue to promote the sharing of archaeological achievements with society, advance the protection and utilization of major ruins, and build vibrant archaeological parks and museums. We aim to promote archaeological educational tours and provide the public with more diverse experiences and products, maximizing archaeology's role in educating people about history and culture. We recently issued documents related to archaeological educational tours and hope to draw your attention to them. That's all from me. Thank you!