White paper on Xinjiang's cultural protection issued

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The cultural heritage of northwest Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region has been "well protected," according to a white paper released by China's State Council Information Office on Thursday.

The document, “Cultural Protection and Development in Xinjiang,” said that China has long been a unified multiethnic country in which various ethnic groups have created and are developing a splendid culture. Xinjiang, as home to various ethnicities since ancient times, sees different groups coexisting, integrating and thriving while enriching the overall culture of the nation.

Since the People's Republic of China was founded in 1949, the Chinese government has attached great importance to documenting and protecting the excellent traditional ethnic cultures in Xinjiang and ensuring that they are passed on to succeeding generations, the white paper said.

The government promotes the use of the standard Chinese language, protects ethnic people's freedom to use and develop their own languages, and encourages people to learn spoken and written languages from each other, the document said.

The government, it continued, also respects and protects religious culture, publishing and distributing religious texts in accordance with the law, effectively protecting religious heritages, and adapting religions to China's reality.

A continuous effort has been made by the central and local authorities to protect and carry forward the region's cultural heritage, to constantly develop its cultural undertakings and industry, and to strengthen its cultural exchanges with foreign countries, according to the white paper.

(Top image: Ethnic people enjoy traditional dancing in Aksu Prefecture, northwest Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, October 8, 2018. /VCG Photo)