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Cliff inscriptions in Fuzhou, East China's Fujian Province Photo: VCG

Regulations on the protection of the cliff inscriptions in Fuzhou, East China's Fujian Province, will be officially implemented starting from March 1, the municipal government of Fuzhou announced on Wednesday. The regulations specify penalties for damages to the inscriptions and provide legal protection to promote the preservation of the city's cliff inscriptions.

Cliff inscriptions, natural rock surfaces upon which people carved text to record historical events, are an important form of inscriptions in the tradition of Chinese civilization.

The regulations set penalties for illegal activities such as damaging, moving, or destroying the protection equipment and facilities related to cliff inscriptions, and climbing, trampling, carving, defacing or vandalizing the cliff inscriptions. 

Under the new regulations, individuals who climb or step on cliff inscriptions will be given a warning by the cultural relics' administrative authorities. Those who carve, deface or vandalize cliff inscriptions that have been officially designated as cultural relics will be warned by public security authorities and may be fined between 100 yuan ($15) and 200 yuan. 

"The inscriptions on the stones help us understand the lifestyles, social structures and cultural development of ancient people, enhancing our knowledge of human history," Zhang Yin, a member of the East Asian Archaeological Association, told the Global Times. "We reconstruct ancient societies through the study of material cultural relics left by ancient humans, which holds particularly important spiritual significance. Therefore, the preservation and maintenance of these cultural artifacts are crucial." 

"For a long time, especially in recent years, the Fuzhou municipal government has placed great emphasis on the protection of cliff inscriptions, and has carried out special environmental improvements around cliff inscription sites in various areas," said Guo Chunxi, a member of the Standing Committee of the Fuzhou People's Congress. 

"We have implemented a number of protection and restoration projects for cliff inscriptions, achieving good results," Guo said.

However, there are still issues such as an unclear overall picture of the inscriptions and insufficient protective measures. It is therefore necessary to further strengthen the protection of cliff inscriptions through local legislation, Guo added.

According to Guo, there has been a strong call for such measures from the local lawmakers, experts and the public.

Currently, more than 1,400 cliff inscriptions have been discovered in the five districts of Fuzhou, with the earliest dating back to the Northern Song Dynasty (960-1127). The inscriptions tell the stories of the customs of the Song people, such as traveling together and gathering during holidays, and reflect Fuzhou's rich cultural heritage, according to the Fuzhou News.

However, these precious works of stone art are often subject to human destruction. In 2023, a 1,400-year-old cliff sculpture in Southwest ­China's Sichuan Province was deliberately defaced, sparking widespread attention. Following the incident, local authorities incorporated the restoration of cliff inscriptions into a comprehensive regulatory framework, according to the China News Service.