"As a country with rich underwater heritage resources, we should also develop the consciousness of promoting these sites as candidates in applying for world heritage status, which is a more effective way to protect them while enriching China's cultural treasures," Sun said.

China built its first museum of marine archaeology in landlocked Chongqing in 2009 to showcase calligraphy dating back to the Tang Dynasty (618-907) on once-drowned steles, and established its first inland national underwater heritage protection base last month in Wuhan, Hubei Province to expand the range of underwater heritage protection.

Another two national underwater heritage protection bases were established last year in Ningbo, Zhejiang Province and Qingdao, Shandong Province.

"We need to speed up in protecting our underwater heritage," Sun said. "At the same time, scientific plans need to be made to preserve the original appearance of the sites and find the best ways to protect them."