A cultural relic of Ordos in North China's Inner Mongolia autonomous region [Photo/WeChat of Ordos Culture and Tourism]

The city of Ordos is making strong efforts to boost the protection and utilization of cultural relics.

Ordos is located in the southwest part of North China's Inner Mongolia autonomous region, surrounded by the Yellow River in the west, north and east and connected to the Great Wall in the south.

Ordos gave birth to the world-renowned Salawusu, Zhukaigou and Ordos Bronze cultures, and is home to cultural relics such as the Great Wall, Aerzhai Grottoes and Genghis Khan's Mausoleum.

Ordos is currently home to 959 immovable cultural relic sites and more than 140 key cultural relic protection units at or above the municipal level.

It is also home to about 247 kilometers of the Great Wall built in the Warring States Period (475-221 BC), Qin Dynasty (221-206 BC), Sui Dynasty (581-618), Song Dynasty (960-1279) and Ming Dynasty (1368-1644).

A cultural relic of Ordos in North China's Inner Mongolia autonomous region [Photo/WeChat of Ordos Culture and Tourism]

The Salawusu ruins have been included on the second list of national archaeological site parks and the Wulanmulun site was rated among the six major new archaeological discoveries in the country in 2011.

To advance local cultural protection, Ordos has issued the "Opinions of Ordos City on Further Strengthening Cultural Relics Work" and "Ordos City Cultural Relics Protection Administrator Management Measures (Trial)", improved the cultural relic protection and management committee, and established a joint meeting system.

Since 2015, Ordos has successively submitted 39 cultural relic protection project plans, with 23 projects being approved. It has also invested more than 60 million yuan ($27.01 million) in over 20 cultural relic protection projects.

Ordos has now built the foundation for a strong museum system. The city's existing 27 museums cover areas like history, nature, art and farming.

A cultural relic of Ordos in North China's Inner Mongolia autonomous region [Photo/WeChat of Ordos Culture and Tourism]