Research On Antiquities Preservation Commission Of Nanjing National Government(1928-1949)

In the face of the large-scale outflow of cultural relics in modern times,although the Bei yang government issued laws and regulations to strengthen the management of cultural relics,however,only the mode of co-management of cultural relics by the internal affairs and Education Departments has not set up a special functional department to carry out cultural relics protection and cultural museum management.After the establishment of Nanjing National Government,the administration of cultural relics,which was tried to set up at the national level,was arranged by the Antiquities Preservation Committee of the university when the university system was put into effect.After the end of the university system,the Ministry of Education was established,the Antiquities Preservation Commission inherited by the Ministry of Education.During its time as a member of the Education Department,the Antiquities Preservation Commission conducted research activities for Chinese and foreign academic groups,Beijing-centered heritage survey and Heritage Conservation,and effectively prevented the outflow of some of the cultural relics.The establishment of the College Antiquities Board laid a good foundation for the establishment of the Central Antiquities Board in July 1934.The Central Antiquities Preservation Commission is an official administrative body for cultural relics established in accordance with the law on the preservation of antiquities,since its establishment,the administration of cultural relics has continued,including the construction of a system of laws and decrees on cultural relics,the nationwide survey of cultural relics and the prevention of the outflow of cultural relics.The contribution of the Antiquities Preservation Commission to the modern cultural heritage is not only reflected in its “Cultural mobilization” and the archaeological heritage,but also in the evolution and stereotype of the modern cultural heritage system.The nature of the Antiquities Preservation Board itself and the superior-subordinate relationship with local offices and relations with other heritage groups have a direct effect on the establishment of a systematic heritage management system.As the national government was facing the Japanese invasion,a large amount of expenditure had to be used for national defense construction,resulting in the repeated austerity of financial investment in cultural undertakings.Funding for the Central Antiquities Preservation Commission has also been reduced repeatedly,and the administrative level has been downgraded from a unit directly under the Executive Yuan to a subordinate body of the Ministry of the interior,with an overall reduction in the size of the establishment.Until the beginning of the all-out War of resistance against Japan,the Central Antiquities Preservation Commission was completely suspended,and the meetings were temporarily concluded together.The work of the local offices was immediately suspended.The related administration of cultural relics was undertaken by the Department of Etiquette and customs of the Ministry of the Interior.After the victory of the Anti-japanese war,although the Ministry of the interior tried to restore the Antiquities Preservation Commission,it failed in the end.However,the Antiquities Preservation Commission,as the first special administrative organization for cultural relics to emerge in modern time,it’s still a milestone.