THE State Administration of Cultural Heritage plans to build a national underwater cultural heritage protection base in Qingdao, according to the city’s urban planning bureau.

    It is one of three underwater cultural heritage bases China plans to build in Ningbo, Wuhan and Qingdao.

    As an important coastal city, Qingdao has many relics and ruins in neighboring sea area. The city’s related department selected two locations for the protection bases recently and has launched a series of investigations and research. The city’s underwater protection base is mainly in charge of the exploration, protection and display of underwater heritage in the Huanghai and Bohai seas.

    After more than 20 years of development, China’s protection of underwater cultural heritage had made significant achievements and had started exploring and protecting heritage in pelagic areas.

    “At present, advanced technology has already been introduced in the research and investigation of underwater cultural heritage, such as an underwater GPS system and underwater robots,” experts said.

    Meanwhile, more investigations and support have been given to underwater archaeology and progress has been made. The country’s first underwater vessel to be used in cultural heritage protection is now being developed. (Wang Yuanyuan, Lu Zhifeng)