Baofeng Lake in Zhangjiajie, Central China's Hunan Province Photo: VCG

China boasts 57 World Heritage Sites, ranking the second in the world. Among them are 14 natural heritage sites and four mixed cultural and natural heritage sites, both ranking the first in the world with a total area of 70,600 square kilometers. 

With its rapid increase in the number of world heritage sites, China has emerged as one of the fastest-growing countries in this domain, National Forestry and Grassland Administration announced on the day of Cultural and Natural Heritage Day, which falls on Saturday.

The year 2024 marks the 20th anniversary of China joining the Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage. Under the guidance of the National Cultural Heritage Administration (NCHA), the opening ceremony of the Cultural and Natural Heritage Day was unveiled at Shenyang, Northeast China's Liaoning Province.

The 78th session of the UN General Assembly on Friday unanimously adopted a resolution proposed by China to establish the International Day for Dialogue among Civilizations, according to the Xinhua News Agency on Friday. 

The resolution calls for "equal dialogue and mutual respect" among different civilizations, fully reflecting the core essence of the Global Civilization Initiative. It decides to designate June 10 as the International Day for Dialogue among Civilizations.

Officials and experts have noted that this resolution coincides with the launch of diverse cultural activities across the country for celebrating the Cultural and Natural Heritage Day, highlighting China's role as an active advocate for cultural heritage protection and dialogue among civilizations.

Li Qun, vice minister of culture and tourism and head of the NCHA, stressed the importance of implementing major projects, including tracing the origin of Chinese civilization project and the archaeology in China project at the opening ceremony in Shenyang. These projects rely on archaeological findings to deepen the understanding of China's extended history.

He also called for deepening the Asian cultural heritage protection actions, practicing global civilization initiatives, and promoting international exchanges and cooperation.

Liu Weicai, director of the Liaoning Provincial Department of Culture and Tourism, told the Global Times that this is the first time that the main venue of Cultural and Natural Heritage Day has been in Northeast China, and it holds a great significance as Northeast China is the birthplace of Hongshan Culture as well as an important revolutionary base.

Jointly organized by the NCHA and the Liaoning Provincial Government, an exhibition themed with Hongshan Culture and Chinese Civilization, has opened on the day.

Hongshan Culture is China's most well-known Neolithic culture dating back between 5,000 and 6,500 years in Northeast China.

Jia Xiaobing, director of the world archaeological research office at the Institute of Archaeology of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, told the Global Times on Saturday that archaeology is one of the best ways to understand the core of the traditional culture of a nation. 

As the Chinese head of the joint archaeological project between China and Egypt, Jia said the international cooperation of Chinese archaeology is an essential component in implementing the Global Civilization Initiative, promoting international exchanges and cooperation. 

It is only through mutual in-depth understanding and profound comprehension that we can better carry out dialogues among civilizations, achieve cultural exchange and mutual learning, and effectively promote the goal of building a community of shared future for all mankind, Jia added.

The opening ceremony of the Cultural and Natural Heritage Day was unveiled at Shenyang, Northeast China’s Liaoning Province on Saturday. Photo: Courtesy of the National Cultural Heritage Administration

Every year on the second Saturday of June, China celebrates its Cultural and Natural Heritage Day. This year, the day falls on June 8.