The visiting team examines the restoration work at Shuanglin Temple, in Datong, Shanxi province, Sept 17. [Photo/pingyao.gov.cn]

The team visits Pingyao's No 90 and 92 city walls , on Sept 17. [Photo/pingyao.gov.cn]

The team visits Longtian Temple in Pingyao, on Sept 17. [Photo/pingyao.gov.cn]

A symposium on relics preservation in Pingyao, Sept 17. [Photo/pingyao.gov.cn]

The Longtian Temple is undergoing restoration, on Sept 17. [Photo/pingyao.gov.cn]

Yan Fengqin, vice-chairman of Pingyao's Political Consultative Conference in Shanxi province, led a team of historians and archaeologists on Sept 17 to inspect the preservation of cultural relics in the county.

The team went to the restoration sites of the Shuanglin Temple, a Buddhism temple dating back to the Northern Qi Dynasty (AD 550-577), No 90 and 92 ancient city walls, and Longtian Temple, to have a thorough understanding of the causes, processes and difficulties of the restoration. The cultural relics bureau made a report of their recent work to the team, while the experts brought up practical suggestions for attracting funds, publicity through media, archaeological staff training, and the overall preservation plan of Pingyao.

Yan emphasized that future preservation work should put emphasis on raising the public awareness of protecting the heritage, spreading Pingyao culture to a wider range, and the legal protection of cultural relics.