Milestones in the history of Chinese cultural relics protection

  "Interim Regulations on the Administration of Cultural Relics Protection"-

  □ Our reporter Han Dandong

  □ Chen Yiqi, an intern of our newspaper

  At the beginning of the founding of New China, the Administration of the Central People's Government continuously issued instructions or orders prohibiting the export of precious cultural relics and protecting ancient buildings.

With the development of the country's industry and agriculture, the progress of various infrastructure projects and the continuous improvement of the legal system, the formulation of a law to protect cultural relics has been put on the agenda.

  On the basis of summarizing the protection work experience of the past ten years, in 1961, the State Council of the People's Republic of China promulgated the first comprehensive national cultural relics protection regulation-the "Interim Regulations on Cultural Relics Protection Management".

  Correct the mistakes in the protection of cultural relics during the "Great Leap Forward" period

  In November 1949, the Cultural Affairs Administration Bureau was established within the Ministry of Culture, responsible for guiding and managing cultural relics, museums, and libraries nationwide.

Subsequently, local governments successively established specialized cultural relics management institutions.

  In 1950, in order to rescue cultural heritage that had been devastated by war, the State Council successively promulgated the "Interim Measures for Prohibiting the Export of Precious Cultural Relic Books", "Interim Measures for the Investigation and Excavation of Ancient Cultural Sites and Ancient Tombs", and the Central People's Government Administration Council on the Protection of Ancient Cultural Relics and Buildings. Instructions" and other documents.

  In 1958, China entered the "Great Leap Forward" period.

In order to cooperate with the construction of industrial and agricultural production, a large amount of archaeological work must be cleared and excavated before the construction period.

All parts of the country actively carry out mass training, delegate the protection and management of cultural relics, popularize archaeological excavation techniques, and expand mass archaeological work into a broad mass movement.

  During this period, the number and speed of archaeological excavations increased significantly.

However, excessive pursuit of "multiple" and "fast", one-sided obedience to economic construction, blindly organizing mass amateur excavation teams to participate, neglecting the professionalism and technicality required for archaeological excavation work, not only leads to rough quality, disorderly and unscientific work, but also It also caused irreparable losses to some cultural relics.

  According to statistics from the Beijing Municipal Bureau of Cultural Relics, a total of 3,282 items of ancient architectural relics were registered from 1958 to 1959 in the first census of cultural relics in Beijing, but only 2,529 items were left in the second census of cultural relics in the 1980s.

  After the climax of the "Great Leap Forward", the Bureau of Cultural Relics began to summarize the experience and lessons of cultural relics protection since the founding of the People's Republic of China, centering on the "adjustment, consolidation, enrichment, and improvement" proposed by the central government, and to correct the mistakes of this period.

  "At that time, we had a retreat, and we held it for a few months. We just talked about why the problem occurred and how to do it in the future." Xie Chensheng, then business secretary of the Cultural Heritage Bureau, recalled, "Everyone mainly thought that the Great Leap Forward had broken. The laws of science do not follow the rules and are subjective. Therefore, we must find ways to regulate cultural relics work, correct those unrealistic ideas and practices, and focus on solving legal problems."

  From the beginning of the founding of New China to 1958, all documents in the field of cultural relics that have been promulgated only addressed a single issue, including cultural relics smuggling, cracking down on tomb robberies, archaeological excavations, etc., and lacked a comprehensive comprehensive law.

  In this context, the "Interim Regulations on the Protection and Management of Cultural Relics" written by Xie Chensheng and presided over by Wang Yeqiu, the then Director of the Bureau of Cultural Relics, lasted two years.

  Passed New China's first comprehensive cultural relics protection regulations

  The "Interim Regulations on the Administration of Cultural Relics Protection" put forward the concept of "national key cultural relics protection units" for the first time, and determined the list of 180 first batch of national key cultural relics protection units, including 33 revolutionary sites and revolutionary memorial buildings, and cave temples. 14 places, 77 ancient buildings and historical memorial buildings, 11 stone carvings and other 11 places, 26 ancient ruins, 19 ancient tombs.

  In 1956, the State Council promulgated the "Notice on the Protection of Cultural Relics in Agricultural Production and Construction", and listed more than 7,000 identified cultural relics as protection units, which were announced and protected by provinces, autonomous regions, and municipalities directly under the Central Government.

At the same time, a census of cultural relics was launched, and supplements were continued based on the results of the census.

  On this basis, and referring to Liang Sicheng's "A Brief List of National Important Architectural Cultural Relics", the list of the first batch of national key cultural relics protection units was thus determined.

  This list opened a new chapter in the history of cultural relics protection and archaeological research in my country.

  On November 17, 1960, the 105th plenary meeting of the State Council was held.

  Regarding the identification of national key cultural relics protection units, the person in charge of the Ministry of Culture said that this is the first batch, and there will be second and third batches in the future.

This is the top one, the best, first show it out for demonstration, and then continue to do it, there are several batches.

In addition, there are provincial-level cultural relics protection units in the province, and county-level cultural relics protection units in the county.

Everything that should be insured in the future will be insured.

  The meeting passed the "Interim Regulations on the Management of Cultural Relics Protection," and approved the first batch of national key cultural relics protection units.

  The management of cultural relics in accordance with the law is on the right track

  On March 4, 1961, the State Council officially issued the "Instructions on Further Strengthening the Protection and Management of Cultural Relics", "Notice on Issuing the Interim Regulations on Cultural Relics Protection and Management", and "Notice on Publishing the List of the First Batch of National Key Cultural Relics Protection Units." file.

  Xie Chensheng once recalled: "The "Instructions on Further Strengthening the Protection and Management of Cultural Relics" (hereinafter referred to as the "Instructions") that were issued at that time were drafted by me. This "Instructions" is in accordance with the "Interim Regulations on the Management of Cultural Relics Protection." Spirituality mainly emphasizes four aspects: first, all cultural relics with historical, artistic, and scientific value must be protected, and the policy of “twofold and two benefits” must be implemented; second, cultural relics should be repaired, and the work of cultural relics and historic sites should be kept as original as possible. It should be demolished and reformed, or the surrounding environment should be greatly changed; the third is to continue the census of cultural relics and announce the protection units of cultural relics at all levels; the fourth is to strengthen publicity to the masses and make the protection of cultural relics a widespread mass work."

  The “Instructions” also emphasized: “The protection of cultural relics and historical sites is also a cultural and artistic work. Care must be taken to maintain the original state of the cultural relics and historical sites as much as possible, and there should be no major demolition or major changes or major changes to the surrounding environment. It wasted manpower and material resources, changed the original historical appearance of the cultural relics, and even made it completely different, which is actually the destruction of cultural relics and historic sites."

  These spirits have been used up to now.

  The “Interim Regulations on the Protection and Administration of Cultural Relics” stipulates: “All cultural relics of historical, artistic, and scientific value within the territory of the People’s Republic of China shall be protected by the state and shall not be destroyed or transported abroad without authorization. People’s committees at all levels shall treat cultural relics within its jurisdiction. Have the responsibility to protect. All cultural relics that are left underground now belong to the state."

  The regulations also clarify the county (city)-provincial-national hierarchical management system, and for the first time clearly stipulated the verification, maintenance, use, relocation, and dismantling of cultural relics protection units at all levels.

Since then, our country has stepped into the right track of managing cultural relics in accordance with the law.

  According to the "Interim Regulations on the Protection and Management of Cultural Relics," the Ministry of Culture also issued the "Interim Measures for the Protection and Management of Cultural Relics Protection Units" on April 17, 1963, and issued the "Revolutionary Memorial Buildings, Historical Memorial Buildings, and Ancient Buildings" on August 27, 1963. The Interim Measures for the Administration of the Renovation of Buildings and Grottoes and Temples was issued on September 17, 1964 and approved by the State Council. Chinese cultural relics regulations.

  As the first comprehensive cultural relics protection regulation in New China, the "Interim Regulations on the Administration of Cultural Relics Protection" is an important cornerstone of the new Chinese cultural relics legal system, and it is an important milestone in the history of cultural relics protection in modern China. Its basic principles are protected by the "Cultural Relics Protection of the People's Republic of China". The Law has been inherited and is still in use today.