BEIJING, July 30-- China has made significant strides in advancing the high-quality development of its cultural relics and heritage.

Various initiatives have been undertaken to advance archaeological research, cultural relics and heritage preservation and utilization, technological innovation, and cultivate a skilled talent pool, the National Cultural Heritage Administration told a press conference held in Beijing on Friday.

At present, 18 major archaeological initiatives are underway in China, and 268 independent projects have been successfully launched.

The country has 55 national archaeological parks and 6,565 museums, and over 90 percent of the museums nationwide are accessible to the public for free.

With progress in strengthening the protection and utilization of revolutionary cultural relics, China now boasts over 36,000 immovable relics and a collection of over 1 million pieces (sets) of movable relics with a revolutionary legacy.

Furthermore, the country has formulated guidelines to strengthen technological innovation in the field of cultural heritage and revised the standard management methods for cultural heritage protection. China now boasts 40 key cultural heritage research bases at the national level.

According to the administration, a new round of national surveys on cultural relics will be initiated, and the country will continue its efforts in cracking down on crimes related to cultural relics.