China's top heritage watchdog said that the government will put aside 250 million yuan (US$30.86 million) annually for preserving large heritage sites as from this year.

"We encourage people residing near the large heritage sites to develop economy while protecting heritage sites," Friday's People's Daily quoted Shan Jixiang, director of the State Administration of Cultural Heritage, as saying.

China now has 30 state-listed cultural heritage sites with each having a size of more than 50,000 square kilometers. They are scattered in 107 cities and counties across China.

The Daming Palace ruins, in northeastern part Xi'an City, which served as capital of a dozen of ancient dynasties in Shaanxi Province, is a typical example of large cultural ruins. The well-preserved cultural site contains lots of archaeological objects, said Shan Jixiang, after a recent inspection to the site.

The government of Xi'an has earmarked 20 million yuan (US$2.4 million) in planting trees and dismantling illegal installations adjacent to the ruins.

Shan admitted protection of these cultural sites is confronted with many difficulties. Flood, mudflow, landslide and other natural disasters pose a threat to the cultural sites.

"But, the biggest threats are not from environmental or ecological deterioration, but from human activities, such as construction of roads and water control projects and operation of rural industries near the cultural sites," said Zhou Kuiying, a heritage official with northwest China's Shannxi Province.

However, many Chinese experts are optimistic about the future of large cultural sites protection.

(Xinhua News Agency September 23, 2005)