This year marked major milestones in China's cultural development.

Cultural heritage keeps people together and reminds them that, in spite of times such as the COVID-19 pandemic, traditions and values are passed from one generation to the next.

Chinese heritage conservators and researchers proved their steadfast commitment to safeguarding relics this year.

China Daily presents 10 major developments.

Guidance for archaeology

At the 23rd group study session of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee on Sept 28, President Xi Jinping, who's also general secretary of the CPC, emphasized the significance of archaeological studies to better understand Chinese civilization and enhance cultural self-confidence.

It was the first time for the CPC Central Committee to organize a group study session on archaeology.

Following Xi's call to highlight the status of archaeology in the country's overall development, a new national-level archaeological institution-the National Center for Archaeology-was established on Nov 30. It's directly affiliated with the National Cultural Heritage Administration.

The new center will focus on underwater archaeology, studies in frontier regions and Sino-foreign research, as well as act as a think tank for the country's policymaking on archaeology.

Staff members of the Hebei Museum lead online viewers on a livestream tour when the museum is closed due to the pandemic. [Photo by Zhai Yujia/China News Service]

Protection of grotto temples

On May 11, Xi visited the 1,500-year-old Yungang Grottoes, a UNESCO World Heritage site in Datong, Shanxi province. There, he urged better displays of the cultural significance of the country's grotto temples to foster a stronger sense of cultural identity and enable further exchanges among civilizations.

The State Council, China's Cabinet, issued a set of guidelines in October to enhance protection and studies of such sites carved into mountains or rocks and visited by religious pilgrims throughout history.

The guidance also included a long-term plan to nurture expertise and technological breakthroughs in at-risk sites' restoration.

All administrations of the country's grotto temples are required to map their own plans for capping tourist numbers by the end of the year.

Early-stage civilization

Fruitful discoveries were made this year under a nationwide archaeological project called Archaeology China, which aims to explore the origins of Chinese civilization.

For example, China's earliest multigrid city layout was found in the 3,700-year-old Erlitou site in Luoyang, Henan province, which is widely believed to be the capital of the Xia Dynasty (c. 21st century-16th century BC)-the first dynasty recorded in Chinese history.

In Shuanghuaishu, a site in Henan's provincial capital, Zhengzhou, that dates back 5,300 years, archaeologists unearthed the highest-level residential complex of its time along the middle and lower reaches of the Yellow River, which is generally considered to be the cradle of Chinese civilization.

In Yuyao, Zhejiang province, the largest and oldest prehistoric shell mound in China was excavated at the Jingtoushan site, which dates back to 8,000 years ago.

Forbidden City's anniversary

The Forbidden City, China's imperial palace from 1420 to 1911, where 24 emperors from the Ming (1368-1644) and Qing (1644-1911) dynasties once lived, celebrated the 600th anniversary of its completion this year.

Officially known as the Palace Museum today, the compound was closed for 98 days this year-the longest period in decades-to contain the novel coronavirus. But its reopening has been welcomed by enthusiastic visitors.

From September to November, crowds of people poured into the Meridian Gate Galleries for the exhibition, Everlasting Splendor: Six Centuries at the Forbidden City, which celebrated the vicissitudes of the former royal palace.

Other key exhibitions and symposiums were held and books were published, showing the significance the Forbidden City plays in Chinese culture.

Despite experiencing continuous wars and social upheavals, thanks to good fortune and recent years' devoted restoration, the world's largest palace complex-covering 720,000 square meters-remains almost as glorious as in bygone days.

Lost treasures return home

A famous bronze sculpture of a horse's head, which was looted by the invading Anglo-French alliance from the Qing royal resort, Yuanmingyuan, or the Old Summer Palace, in Beijing in 1860 was returned to its home site on Dec 1, after a long stay overseas.

The bust was bought by late Hong Kong-Macao business magnate Stanley Ho Hung-sun in 2007 and was donated to the National Cultural Heritage Administration last year.

Likewise, 68 long-lost Chinese cultural relics arrived in Beijing from the United Kingdom on Oct 20 after continuous repatriation efforts.

These pieces were seized by British police in 1995 but had remained in police custody in London because their local buyer refused to participate in negotiations. The stalemate was broken this year due to the close cooperation of diplomatic, judicial, law-enforcement and cultural authorities in China and the UK.