Yixian county in East China's Anhui province was approved as a National Famous Historical and Cultural City in an official reply to the Anhui authority by the State Council on June 15.

The Anhui provincial and Yixian county-level authorities should better protect and utilize the historical and cultural resources and carry forward fine traditional Chinese culture, the reply said.

Plans of protecting the historical and cultural city and cultural relics at all levels should be formulated, and regulations on protection should be drafted and well-implemented, with lists of protected objects, content, requests, and duties pinned down.

The State Council emphasized that efforts should be made to make urban construction and historical and cultural resource protection compatible, protect and restore historical and cultural blocks and protect world cultural heritage, as well as strengthen renovation and protection of cultural relics and historic buildings. Cultural relic protection units should be encouraged to open to the public, with no historic buildings removed or dismantled.

In addition, the Anhui authority should step up guidance, supervision, and examination of the protection of the Yixian county as a National Famous Historical and Cultural City, along with the Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development and the National Cultural Heritage Administration.