The systematic management of cultural relics protection has been continuously improving, the State Administration of Cultural Heritage said during online conference in Beijing on Monday. 

In 2021, China issued regulations on the application and selection of key cultural relics and the collections from state-owned museums, completing the archival review of 28,000 sets of first-class cultural relics.

Last year, 1,388 archaeological exploration and excavation projects were carried out in conjunction with large-scale capital construction. Cultural relics departments at all levels handled about 500 criminal cases related to cultural relics in total.

A nationwide project named "Archaeological China" launched six smaller projects and released 18 achievements, including the 3,000-year-old Sanxingdui Ruins, the mausoleum of Emperor Wen of the Han Dynasty (202 BC - 220 AD) and the Piluo site of the Paleolithic period.

The meeting also said it expected to complete the top-level design for the exploration and interpretation of Chinese civilization in 2022 and that the construction of warehouses for archaeological specimens in key areas of the country will be organized.