With four Golden Sun Birds flying their way into the opening ceremony of the Chengdu FISU World University Games, China on Friday conveyed its message that Chengdu, the capital city of southwest China's Sichuan Province, welcomes student athletes from across the world.

Apart from the Golden Sun Birds, a symbol of Chinese cultural heritage, the showcase of Sichuan embroidery (special silk produced in the city), the Sichuan opera face-changing performance, all impressed foreign guests.

"We have seen both their past cultures and their reflections and visions for the future," said Mehmet Gunay, president of the Turkish University Sports Federation. "Both modern arts and, at the same time, traditional lines are utilized. These were highly pleasing. We also watched it with pleasure and appreciated it."

According to Chinese President Xi Jinping, culture plays a unique and irreplaceable role in the governance of China and the building of a modern Chinese civilization. During his recent inspection tour, Xi reiterated the importance of cultural inheritance and development.

Cultural relic protection

The new building of the Sanxingdui Museum in Sichuan recently started trial operation, with nearly 600 relics unearthed from the renowned Sanxingdui Ruins displayed to the public for the first time.

A total of more than 1,500 pieces or sets of relics, including pottery, bronze, jade and gold wares, are showcased in the new building, which has an exhibition area of 22,000 square meters.

On Wednesday, Xi visited the new building to learn about efforts in historical and cultural heritage inheritance. Stressing that cultural relic protection and restoration is a long-term task, Xi called for increasing national support, stepping up training of personnel and carrying forward craftsmanship with rigorous and meticulous style.

During his way back to Beijing, Xi also visited the Hanzhong Museum in northwest China's Shaanxi Province. He pointed out that cultural relics bear splendid civilization, inherit history and culture, and maintain national spirits.

Xi urged the museum to play its role of inheriting, researching and displaying human civilization as well as expanding the influence of Chinese culture.

China has made notable progress in the protection of cultural relics over the past decade. By the end of 2021, there were 108 million pieces (sets) of state-owned movable cultural relics and about 767,000 immovable ones. The total number of world heritage sites in China has reached 56, ranking second in the world, according to the Ministry of Culture and Tourism.

Building eco-cvilization

Xi has stressed advancing ecological civilization on many occasions. The first stop on Xi's recent inspection tour in Sichuan was the site of a section of an ancient road in Guangyuan City, known as "Shudao."

The Cuiyunlang section of Shudao, which Xi visited, serves as a fine example of the development and evolution of Shudao.

The ancient cypress trees along this section boast an average age of 1,050 years, with the oldest tree dating back approximately 2,300 years. Presently, the Cuiyunlang section proudly harbors 7,803 ancient trees, with a staggering 7,778 being ancient cypress trees. It has become the most extensive and populous group of ancient trees lining a man-made pathway, with the longest recorded existence.

Xi also inspected Tianhan Wetland Park in Hanzhong, northwest China's Shaanxi Province, and called it a park of happiness for local residents.

The construction of ecological parks should follow nature, Xi pointed out and urged efforts to strengthen the overall protection and systematic restoration of wetland ecosystems, promote the mutual integration of ecological protection, production and life, as well as endeavor to build an eco-city.

Official data showed that China now boasts 56.35 million hectares of wetland, including marshes, beaches and lakes, according to the latest land resource surveys. The country also has 64 wetlands of international importance and 29 wetlands of national importance, as well as 901 national wetland parks.

Since 2003, the central government has spent 19.8 billion yuan (about $2.73 billion) on over 4,100 projects to advance wetland protection and restoration across the country.

Last week, China held a national conference on ecological and environmental protection. Calling for writing a new chapter in the building of an ecological civilization for the new era, Xi, in his speech to the meeting, stressed efforts to promote the building of a beautiful China in all respects and accelerate the advancement of modernization featuring harmony between humans and nature.