A light show held at the 600-year-old Forbidden City in Beijing during the Lantern Festival on February 19, 2019. 

With its history of more than 5,000 years, the Chinese civilization has accumulated a large number of cultural heritages. These include 767,000 immovable cultural relics, 56 World Heritage Sites, 5,058 historical and cultural sites under first-class national protection, 36 national archaeological ruins parks, and 137 cities of historical and cultural fame. 

While continuing to pass on history and cultural heritage, it is a pivotal mission for China to make good use of them, keep them “alive,” and add to their value in the modern era. Free admittance to more than 5,000 museums, a stream of documentary productions such as The Nation’s Greatest Treasures and Masters in the Forbidden City, the digitalization of cultural relics assisted by 3D printing technology, and the reuse of industrial heritage are all the successful attempts China has made to bring cultural heritages alive.