Industrial heritage protection extremely urgent

A Chinese cultural heritage official has said great efforts should be made to well protect relics from China's development of its modern industries through improved awareness of the people.

Shan Jixiang, director of the State Administration of Cultural Heritage, insists there is an extreme urgency for industrial heritage protection.

"Legions of industrial relics have been dismantled in the past years to give way to development projects due to modernization and urbanization drive across the country," said Shan, "to some extent, industrial relics have been vanishing at a speed much faster than that for ancient tombs or architecture."

"Protection of industrial heritage has not got due attention as a result of the comparatively shorter history for development of modern industries in China," said Shan.

The development of modern industries has played a crucial role in shaping the lifestyle and way of thinking of the Chinese, who have long been living in an agricultural civilization, he said.

He urged local officials to have a forward-looking vision in drafting out city planning and do a good job of protecting the industrial relics so that more industrial heritage could survive amid the country's modernization drive.