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Home > Policy > White Paper, Notice, Announcement > White Paper > JAPANESE GOVERNMENT POLICIES IN EDUCATION, SCIENCE AND CULTURE 1993 > CHAPTER 4 �5 5 (3)

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Chapter 4 Culture Connects the World
�5 Cultural Policy in Foreign Countries
5 Cultural Policy in China
(3) Protection of cultural properties


The State Bureau of Cultural Relics is the top governmental organization in China for the protection of cultural properties. It carries out the designation and preservation of cultural properties, oversees museums, restricts the flowing out of cultural properties to foreign countries and conducts study and research. It also has research institutes under its jurisdiction. In addition, there are governmental organizations for the protection of cultural properties at the provincial, prefectural, city and county levels, which are under the control of the State Bureau of Cultural Relics.

The Chinese system for the protection of cultural properties designates these properties according the three classifications: "National Emphatic Cultural Property Protection Units", "Historical Celebrated Castle-cities of China" and "National Emphatic Districts of Scenic Beauty," In China, so-called Cultural Relics (VVenwu) are limited to tangible cultural properties. Aside from cultural properties which possess historical or artistic value, properties such as historic sites noted for their value in connection with the Revolution and which are associated with the establishment of the People's Republic of China are also protected as cultural properties.

Under the classification of National Emphatic Cultural Property Protection Units, ruins, rock-cave temples, old architectural structures and the entire surrounding region are designated in their entirety as one unit. Items owned by museums and individuals are excluded from designation. The first National Emphatic Cultural Property Protection Units were announced in 1961. The second Units were announced in 1982, the same year as the Law for Protection of Cultural Treasures was issued, and the third Units were announced in 1988. The classification of Historical Celebrated Castle-cities of China is a system whose aims are to designate and are serve the areas surrounding historically and culturally celebrated castle cities. The classification of National Emphatic Districts of Scenic Beauty is a system whose alms are to designate and preserve areas of distinguished scenic beauty. Designations were made in both of these classifications for the first time in 1982.

China, with its expansive land and vast history is rich in buried cultural properties. For their protection, those who engage in their excavation and investigation are obliged to inform authorities of their find, apply for permission to carry out their work, and report their findings back to the authorities. Because of unfortunate past experiences with loosing enormous quantities of precious cultural properties to foreign countries, there are detailed exportation standards according to the respective various types of cultural relics, to prevent them from flowing out of the country.


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