China News Service, Xilin Gol, April 21st, title: Inner Mongolia Horseback Cultural Relics Conservation Team: 10 years of protection of cultural relics
China News Service reporter Li Aiping
53-year-old Zhang Gang always drives along the grassland to inspect cultural relics and historical sites in the area when he has free time. In case of abnormal situations, he will quickly record the scene and call the cultural relics department to report.
This middle-aged man from the Xilin Gol League in the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region is a member of the local horseback cultural relics protection team.
"Although there is a horseback in the name, in order to improve work efficiency, we generally ride motorcycles or drive to inspect cultural relics." Zhang Gang explained to reporters at noon on the 21st.
The Horseback Cultural Relics Protection Team referred to by Zhang Gang is called the Horseback Cultural Relics (Great Wall) Protection Team (referred to as the Horseback Cultural Relics Protection Team) of the Xilin Gol League of Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region. It has been established for more than 10 years.
Zhang Gang joined the Horseback Cultural Relics Conservation Team in 2015. There were also two herdsmen in the same period, Li Bing and Zhang Jiping.
The picture shows the Horseback Cultural Relics (Great Wall) Protection Team of Xilin Gol League, Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region.
Photo courtesy of the Department of Culture and Tourism of the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region
"The three of us live in the Sigesi branch of Baiyinkulun Ranch in Xilin Gol League, and are responsible for patrolling the local Jinjiehao ruins. It takes at least half a day to inspect a circle." Zhang Gang said.
"The main reason for this work is to protect the cultural relics with due diligence." Zhang Gang revealed, "In actual work, although the cultural relics management department will provide subsidies such as telephone charges, we all use our own cars and do not account for the gains and losses. ."
Why set up a horseback cultural relics protection team in the boundless Xilin Gol prairie?
The reporter learned from the Cultural Relics Bureau of Xilin Gol League that although the Xilin Gol League is vast and rich in resources and sparsely populated, there are many ancient ruins, ancient tombs, and ancient rock paintings left over from history.
According to the third national census of immovable cultural relics, there are 1,148 immovable cultural relics and 265 key cultural relics under protection at various levels.
In order to better protect the cultural relics, in 2011, the horseback cultural relics protection team came into being, and currently has nearly 160 team members.
Baomei, Deputy Chief of the Cultural Relics Section of the Cultural Relics Bureau of the Xilinguole League, said: "The horseback cultural relics protection team is a grassroots volunteer service that is joined by farmers and herdsmen who have certain basic conditions, strong sense of responsibility, high quality, and cultural relics protection awareness. Cultural relic protection team."
In daily production and life, the team members manage and protect field cultural relics from time to time in a mobile form, and at the same time carry out cultural relic protection propaganda work.
In order to encourage the enthusiasm of the team members, the local government equipped the team members with cotton coats, raincoats, flashlights, backpacks, binoculars and other items; since 2017, the team began to subsidize the phone bills; individual banner and county cultural relics departments also issued subsidies and equipment for the team members.
The Horseback Cultural Relics Protection Team, which has been established for more than 10 years, has become a "weapon" for local cultural relics protection.
In recent years, the local cultural relics department has received more than 100 reports from the horseback cultural relics protection team. After verification by the local cultural relics departments, more than 20 cases of damage to cultural relics have been reported.
At present, cases of theft and destruction of cultural relics of the League are on the decline.
Baomei said that the horseback cultural relics protection team has also stopped some enterprises from destroying the Netherland trenches, ancient tombs, and ancient buildings during construction, and successfully recovered more than 200 stolen cultural relics and arrested more than 10 cultural relic criminals.
In 2013, the horseback cultural relics protection team successfully protected an ancient tomb from the Northern Wei Dynasty. The tomb unearthed more than 150 pieces of gold, silver, iron, pottery, silk and lacquerware from 1500 years ago.
According to experts, the tomb is of great significance to the study of grassland culture.
Zhang Gang said that this form of horseback cultural relics protection team is very suitable for local characteristics, and at the same time it can reach the masses.
"Because many ancient tombs and ancient sites are in the pastures of herdsmen's homes, it is very convenient and feasible to mobilize the herdsmen to implement protection."
The achievements of the horseback cultural relics protection team in the cultural relics protection work have been recognized and praised by all parties.
The National People's Congress and the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference have approved the Horseback Cultural Relics Protection Team during the 30 years of the promulgation and implementation of the Cultural Relics Law and the Great Wall protection investigation, and proposed that this is a new measure to explore the protection of field cultural relics.
Chen Kuiyuan, vice chairman of the 11th National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference and head of the Great Wall Protection Investigation Group, spoke highly of him.
He proposed: "The horseback cultural relics protection team is suitable for patrolling and protecting cultural relics in the vast grasslands, deserts, and Gobi areas of Inner Mongolia."
Chen Kuiyuan suggested that this practice should be promoted, publicized and developed, further standardizing and strengthening this team, and making active efforts to protect cultural relics and heritage.
(Finish)