North China's Shanxi province is comprehensively advancing its cultural relics census following the State Council's issuance of the "Notice on Conducting the Fourth National Cultural Relics Census" in October 2023.

By May, all 11 cities and 117 counties in the province had established leadership groups or task forces with dual-leader structures, ensuring robust organizational support for the census implementation.

Census personnel conduct on-site investigations. [Photo/Shanxi Daily]

To ensure the accuracy of census data, the province selected experts from the provincial cultural heritage system to form a provincial-level expert group that provided technical guidance. Over 150 census teams were formed across cities, districts, and counties, involving more than 1,200 cultural relic protection and archaeology staff members.

This census integrates spatial information technology, applying remote sensing, geographic information systems, and satellite positioning systems. Advanced technologies such as big data and artificial intelligence are also being utilized to digitize and process cultural relic information and establish digital archives and intelligent management systems to safeguard cultural relic data.

Advanced technologies such as professional camera image acquisition and RTK positioning are used in the census. [Photo/Shanxi Daily]

Shanxi actively promotes the protection of cultural relics through public education activities, including exhibitions, lectures, and study tours. These activities enhance public awareness and participation and enrich the public's cultural life. They also create a positive social atmosphere for protecting cultural relics.

In addition, Shanxi emphasizes the role of social forces in protecting cultural relics. The province effectively addresses funding shortages by guiding and supporting private capital participation in cultural relic protection projects and encouraging enterprises and individuals to adopt and sponsor cultural relics.