China brings 8,155 traditional villages under state protection

BEIJING -- China has inscribed a total of 8,155 traditional villages to its state protection list in an effort to conserve the country's millennia-old agricultural civilization, official data showed.

Under this initiative, China has built the world's largest agricultural heritage protection network, said Dong Hongmei, an official with the Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development.

Traditional villages, also known as ancient villages, often have a long history and boast abundant cultural and natural resources. These villages are of great value for protection.

China has so far brought 539,000 historic buildings and traditional dwellings under protection and excavated 4,789 items of intangible cultural heritage at or above the provincial level.

More measures will be taken to safeguard traditional villages in the future, including detailing the protection area, target and specific protection plans, and coordinating the construction of the infrastructure, public service facilities and the layout of characteristic industries, according to the ministry.