SHENZHEN, May 27 (Xinhua) -- More than 200 experts convened at a forum on strengthening cultural heritage preservation and inheritance in Shenzhen on Tuesday, where they explored strategies to revitalize ancient relics and preserve historical legacies through legal safeguards, minimal-intervention repairs, and cutting-edge digital technologies.

As part of the Forum on Building up China's Cultural Strength 2025, the event highlighted China's focus on balancing preservation with innovation.

The landmark revision to the country's Law on the Protection of Cultural Relics, enacted on March 1, was central to discussions. The law enshrines principles such as prioritizing the protection of cultural relics and bringing cultural relics to life. Additionally, it strengthens penalties for violations and supports international cooperation.

The revised law, pivotal to advancing modern Chinese civilization, enhances legal safeguards for cultural heritage to support national rejuvenation, said Zhu Bing, former head of the cultural office of the Education, Science, Culture, and Public Health Committee of China's National People's Congress.

The 11th-century Wanrong Jiwang Temple in north China's Shanxi Province emerged as a case study in scientific restoration. Once misdated to the Jin Dynasty (1115-1234), its Northern Song (960-1127) origin was confirmed in 2011 after a faint inscription was discovered during a survey.

Ling Ming, president of China Academy of Cultural Heritage, noted that preserving original materials and avoiding over-handling allowed for this discovery, underscoring the "minimum intervention" principle, which has been codified in the updated law.

The forum also featured an exhibition area that showcased preservation milestones, including the Beijing Central Axis, the Yangzhou ancient city in east China's Jiangsu Province, and the ancient city of Langzhong in southwest China's Sichuan Province -- a 2,300-year-old "fairyland" with 270 Ming (1368-1644) and Qing (1644-1911) residences, along with cultural products that blend tradition with modern design.

A Lai, vice chairperson of the China Writers Association and chairperson of the Sichuan Writers Association, emphasized the intrinsic link between cultural heritage and the politics, economy, aesthetics, and way of life of its era. "Protection loses meaning without understanding what is behind the relics. Fragmentary tourism projects risk becoming fragmented and superficial," he said.

Digital innovation took center stage with the Longmen Grottoes in north China's Henan Province, where more than two decades of 3D scanning and close-range photogrammetry have created permanent archives of its Buddhist statues.

Experts urged the coupling of legal frameworks with tech advancements, while leveraging digital innovations that enable creative displays to unlock the deeper historical and cultural value of the relics. ■