Bronze wine table with cloud designs at the Henan Museum Photo: Xu Liuliu/GT

A museum alliance was established Monday in Zhengzhou, capital of central China's Henan Province, with the goal of better preserving and carrying forward the cultural heritage of the Yellow River.

The alliance, which consists of 45 museums from nine provincial-level regions along the Yellow River, was proposed by Henan Museum, which was elected the first convenor on a two-year term.

A series of exhibition tours will be launched by the alliance, showcasing treasures from the area that reflect the Yellow River civilization.

"The Yellow River basin took the political, economic and cultural center stage for two-thirds of the more than 5,000 years of Chinese civilization," said Guan Qiang, deputy head of the National Cultural Heritage Administration.

The establishment of the alliance will help build a comprehensive system to protect the cultural value of the Yellow River, Guan noted.

Ma Xiaolin, curator of the Henan Museum, said the alliance will strengthen academic research and exchanges to further explore the value of cultural heritage along the Yellow River.