China is leveraging state-of-the-art scientific and technological innovations to safeguard and study its extensive cultural heritage. This initiative was highlighted during a conference organized by the National Cultural Heritage Administration in Xi’an, Shaanxi province, in October. The event brought together administrators and scientists from key technology and research bases to review achievements and outline future strategies. The conference underscored that the field of cultural relics is at a pivotal stage, with significant scientific questions and key technologies on the verge of revolutionary breakthroughs. Officials announced plans to establish innovation systems encompassing basic research, technology development, and achievement transformation during the 15th Five-Year Plan (2026-30). Since 2004, the administration has established 40 key research bases, forming a comprehensive scientific network that supports high-quality development in the cultural relics sector. These bases have made strides in technological research, talent cultivation, achievement promotion, and international exchange. Advanced technologies such as satellite remote sensing, drone patrols, and real-time perception through the internet of things are being widely used to build intelligent firewalls for relics. In the field of risk prevention and control, these bases serve as guardians of cultural relics. For instance, the key research base for the seismic protection of cultural relics has developed a discrete body mechanics theoretical model for predicting damage to brick-and-stone heritage structures and new stability enhancement measures. This technology has been applied in the protection and display of heavy stone inscriptions such as Kaicheng Shijing in the Xi’an Beilin Museum. Additionally, the complete set of technical equipment for seismic protection of museum collections developed by the base is in use in more than 20 museums across the country and has withstood the test of multiple earthquakes measuring magnitude 6.2 or higher. In the field of conservation and restoration, these research bases are extending the life span of cultural relics. The key research base for conservation of ancient murals at the Dunhuang Academy has built the world’s first multi-field coupling laboratory for cultural relics, continuously deepening the understanding of relic diseases. Innovations such as microbial treatment materials for tomb murals and weathering prevention technologies for sandstone grotto temples have been applied in more than 200 projects across 16 provinces and regions and are being promoted to countries involved in the Belt and Road Initiative, such as Kyrgyzstan, Nepal, and Myanmar. In the field of archaeological interpretation, these research bases act as decoders of civilization. The deep integration of technology has expanded archaeology beyond traditional tools like hand shovels and excavation units. The integrated innovation of spatial science, molecular biology, nuclear technology, and other methods has provided a more solid basis for revealing the origins, formation, and development path of Chinese civilization. The key research base for human evolution and genetics at the Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology of the Chinese Academy of Sciences has achieved remarkable results over the past years. Its ancient DNA team has used key ancient DNA and ancient protein evidence to confirm that the Harbin cranium is linked to the early Denisovan lineage from Siberia, who were widely distributed in Asia. The team has published papers in international journals such as Cell, Nature, and Science, proposing new hypotheses about the diverse ancestral populations and migration evolution patterns in East Asia, and constructing a China-Southeast Asia gene flow network. Similarly, the key research base for metal and metallurgical heritage at the University of Science and Technology Beijing has clarified the origins of Chinese metallurgy. These research bases serve as envoys of cultural dissemination, bringing cultural relics to life and into households. In collaboration with the research institute of the Yungang Grottoes, the key research base for digital protection of grotto temple relics at Zhejiang University has created a 1:1 full-scale replication of Cave 3 of Yungang, allowing the magnificent grotto art to ‘travel’ the world. At the core of technological competition lies talent. Since their establishment, the research bases have made talent cultivation their key mission. After years of development, a professional team of scientific and technological talent has formed, becoming a valuable resource driving the high-quality development of the cultural relics sector. As of last year, among the 1,436 permanent staff members in 40 research bases, 58 percent hold senior professional titles and 71 percent have master’s degrees or higher, indicating a steady improvement in the talent hierarchy. Internationally, China’s voice is becoming increasingly prominent. Various research bases have established stable academic cooperation with more than 20 countries, including the United States, Russia, the United Kingdom, France, and Japan. The key research base for conservation of textile cultural relics at the China National Silk Museum has initiated the World Silk Interactive Map project, attracting about 40 institutions from 13 countries to participate, constructing the world’s first silk heritage database.