China's top political advisory body held a meeting on “Strengthening Protection and Use of Relics in Sites for Religious Activities” with religious communities nationwide during the second session of the 14th National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference.
According to the China News Service, committee members from Taoism, Buddhism, Islam, Catholicism, and Christianity met on March 7 to discuss issues such as "the shortage of professionals in cultural relic protection" and "the cultural connotation of religious relics that needs to be explored" at the meeting.
Rev. Xu Xiaohong, president of the eleventh National Committee of the Three-Self Patriotic Movement (TSPM), mentioned the global impact of the Nestorian relics in China, which presented strong evidence of the exchange between Eastern and Western cultures along the Silk Road. Rev. Xu also pointed out that church journals such as The Globe Magazine were important resources for studying China’s modern history, particularly emphasizing the urgent need to protect the rare and only existing copies.
Bishop Joseph Yang Yongqiang, vice president of the Catholic Patriotic Association (CPA), proposed that simplifying the approval process for repair funds and shortening the disbursement period could help religious sites be available as soon as possible. He further stressed the importance of improvements in the overall planning during the renovation of the sites for religious activities, including consideration of the art value and religious connotation of the relics, as well as infrastructure improvement.
- Translated by Poppy Chan
全国政协召开“加强宗教活动场所文物保护与利用”宗教界别协商会议。
全国两会期间，全国政协于召开“加强宗教活动场所文物保护与利用”宗教界别协商会议。
据中新网报道，3月7日，道教、佛教、伊斯兰教、天主教、基督教界委员在会上关注“文物保护专业人才不足”“宗教文物文化内涵有待挖掘”等问题。
中国基督教三自爱国运动委员会主席徐晓鸿提到，如国内一些景教遗迹，国际影响非常大，也是丝绸之路东西方文明交流的有力证据；又如《万国公报》等教会期刊，是研究中国近现代史的重要资料，其中的善本、孤本亟待保护。
中国天主教主教团驻会副主席杨永强建议，简化宗教活动场所修缮资金审批流程、缩短拨付周期，保障宗教活动场所能尽早投入使用。同时，加强宗教活动场所修缮的综合统筹规划，在修缮中充分考虑文物的艺术价值、宗教内涵和基础设施改善需求。
全国政协召开“加强宗教活动场所文物保护与利用”宗教界别协商会议
China's top political advisory body held a meeting on “Strengthening Protection and Use of Relics in Sites for Religious Activities” with religious communities nationwide during the second session of the 14th National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference.
According to the China News Service, committee members from Taoism, Buddhism, Islam, Catholicism, and Christianity met on March 7 to discuss issues such as "the shortage of professionals in cultural relic protection" and "the cultural connotation of religious relics that needs to be explored" at the meeting.
Rev. Xu Xiaohong, president of the eleventh National Committee of the Three-Self Patriotic Movement (TSPM), mentioned the global impact of the Nestorian relics in China, which presented strong evidence of the exchange between Eastern and Western cultures along the Silk Road. Rev. Xu also pointed out that church journals such as The Globe Magazine were important resources for studying China’s modern history, particularly emphasizing the urgent need to protect the rare and only existing copies.
Bishop Joseph Yang Yongqiang, vice president of the Catholic Patriotic Association (CPA), proposed that simplifying the approval process for repair funds and shortening the disbursement period could help religious sites be available as soon as possible. He further stressed the importance of improvements in the overall planning during the renovation of the sites for religious activities, including consideration of the art value and religious connotation of the relics, as well as infrastructure improvement.
- Translated by Poppy Chan
China's Top Political Advisory Body Calls for 'Strengthening Protection, Use of Relics in Sites for Religious Activities'
