The 2022 Shandong Cultural Relics Vocational Skills Competition was held in Qufu, Jining city on Aug 12, offering a platform for professionals specializing in the area of cultural relics protection to carry forward the spirit of craftsmanship and improve their skills.

Wang Tingqi, deputy director of the Shandong Provincial Department of Culture and Tourism, said that the skills competition is of great importance for promoting the spirit of craftsmanship, training technicians and skilled workers, and enhancing the protection and inheritance of the cultural heritage.

Gong Xiaofang, deputy mayor of Jining, said that Jining is home to 41 national key cultural relics protection units, 260 provincial-level ones, and 814 city- and county-level units, ranking first in Shandong for total number of units. The city has made great achievements in archaeological discoveries and is accelerating the construction of archaeological site parks.

Gong added that efforts have also been made to advance the construction of museums and train high-level professionals in the area of cultural relics protection. Major progress is being made in protecting cultural relics and passing on the intangible cultural heritage. 

The skills competition consisted of six major programs, including cultural relics restoration and archaeological excavation, and played an important role for Shandong to promote cultural relics conservation and restoration.

The 2022 Shandong Cultural Relics Vocational Skills Competition kicks off in Qufu, Jining city on Aug 12. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

Contestants from across the province attend the vocational skills competition in Jining on Aug 12. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

A contestant makes carpentry at the vocational skills competition in Jining on Aug 12. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]