After three years of construction, China's recently-inaugurated National Archives of Publications and Culture aims to act as a "seed bank" for Chinese culture. Authorities say they hope it can play a significant role in the preservation of ancient texts and modern publications. CGTN's Zheng Chunying explored its Beijing headquarters.

ZHENG CHUNYING CGTN Reporter "When talking about China, people probably think of its rich and ancient culture that dates back 5,000 years. But do you know that there's a place, where a vast majority of the country's notable cultural legacies and relics can be found? That's the building behind me – The China National Archives of Publications and Culture. And today, we are going to take you on a tour inside to get a glimpse of some of the country's culture treasures. Let's go."

Located at the north end of Beijing's famous central axis and at the foot of Yanshan Mountain, the building has more than 16 million copies of historical tests, and tens of thousands of exhibits across 10 major categories,

China's historical development and the evolution of the Chinese civilization are the main themes of the exhibition with cultural relics such as stamps, ancient currency, and Terracotta Warriors some of the highlights.

It's a venue which integrates a library, a museum, an art gallery, an archive, and an exhibition venue. It also has three sister branches – in Hangzhou, in China's east; Xi'an in the north-west; and Guangzhou in the south.

LIU CHENGYONG Head of Beijing Headquarters, China National Archives of Publications and Culture "Beijing will take the lead in coordinating national publication resource planning, while the three other branches will gather and cover publication resources in different regions at a local level. They will jointly be responsible for inheriting and preserving national bibliography resources, their core functions are collection, exhibition, research, and communication."

By preserving the vast quantity of Chinese texts and other cultural treasures since writing began in China, the head of the institute said that the archives will also strengthen Chinese people's cultural confidence, present a strong cultural image and promote more dialogues among the world's civilizations.

LIU CHENGYONG Head of Beijing Headquarters, China National Archives of Publications and Culture "The project is of great significance in creating an icon for Chinese culture in the modern era. The national archive not only serves as a landmark of Chinese culture but also demonstrates the country's image abroad."

ZHENG CHUNYING CGTN Reporter "It feels like traveling in a time capsule. Touring this place takes you on a journey through thousands of years and teaches you a lot about China's culture and history. Such an enjoyable and educational visit, isn't it? But, you don't need to get jealous of me at all. Officials say the public will soon be able to see thousands of cultural heritage materials here free of charge, as the national-level project focuses on both preservation and education. ZCY, CGTN, Beijing."