A new Cultural Relics Law is aimed at preventing the destruction of ancient relics by humans as well as relic destruction due to lack of care and protection.
Visitors have long flocked to Elephant Trunk Mountain, in southwest China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, to read centuries-old inscriptions by noted Song Dynasty poets and scholars dating back to the late 10th century AD. But some of the inscriptions are now beyond recognition, after they were defaced by tourists.
In the other end of the country, nearly half of the 6,000-plus Mandela Mountain rock paintings, located in a desolate area of North China's Inner Mongolia, have been stolen. The paintings present a vivid depiction of the daily lives of the local nomadic people during the primitive age and now less than 2,000 have been left intact.
These slopes are littered with broken rock paintings, some with graffiti scribbled on them.
The central and local governments hope that a newly-enacted Cultural Relics Law which strengthens relic protection will prevent the destruction of relics seen at Elephant Trunk and Mandela Mountains.
(CCTV.com March 22, 2003)
