Biography of characters Xie Chensheng, born in July 1922, is a famous cultural relics expert in China, honorary president of the Chinese cultural relics society and member of the National Committee of experts on the protection of famous historical and cultural cities. In 2009, the Ministry of culture and the State Administration of cultural relics awarded Xie Chensheng the honorary title of "outstanding person in the cause of Chinese cultural relics and museums", and the China Cultural Relics Protection Foundation awarded Xie Chensheng the "Lifetime Achievement Award for Chinese cultural heritage protection". Deputy to the 13th CPC National Congress and member of the seventh CPPCC National Committee. "The protection of cultural relics comes first. Without protection, there will be no research." Zheng Zhensheng has remembered this sentence all his life. Xie Chensheng is a major participant and writer in the formulation of a series of cultural relics laws and regulations in New China. He is also a witness and party to many major decisions on China's cultural relics cause. He has said many times: "I have always believed that the protection of cultural relics is to protect the country." He participated in the drafting and revision of the law of the people's Republic of China on the protection of cultural relics, and actively promoted the inclusion in the law of the working policy of cultural relics of "protection first, rescue first, rational utilization and strengthening management". After his retirement in 1994, he appealed for the protection of cultural relics, worked selflessly and spared no effort. On May 2, Mr. Xie Chensheng drove the crane West. "I have always believed that protecting cultural relics is protecting the country" Xie Chensheng has said many times: "I have always believed that protecting cultural relics is protecting the country." He participated in the drafting and revision of many cultural relics laws and regulations, which can form a distinctive personal "monograph on cultural relics". After the founding of new China, Zheng Zhenduo was appointed director of the Cultural Relics Bureau of the Ministry of culture, and Xie Chensheng became a member of the newly established cultural relics bureau. He was bent on taking the road of research. Zheng Zhenduo said, "do cultural protection work. It's more important than research." Xie Chensheng kept it firmly in mind. He mentioned more than once, "up to now, I am also performing the task he gave me." Under the guidance and help of Zheng Zhenduo, Wang yeqiu, Pei Wenzhong and others, Xie Chensheng drafted the first batch of decrees and regulations for the protection of cultural relics in New China, which are the Interim Measures for banning the export of precious cultural relics and books and the Interim Measures for the investigation and excavation of ancient cultural sites and ancient tombs promulgated by the Central People's Government in 1950. In 1959, the cultural relics bureau began to draft the Interim Regulations on the protection and management of cultural relics. Xie Chensheng and his colleagues wrote several drafts before and after, which were issued by the State Council in 1961. Article 1 of the regulations clearly stipulates that "all cultural relics of historical, artistic and scientific value shall be protected by the state". "Protection first, rescue first, rational utilization and strengthening management" In 1977, the law of the people's Republic of China on the protection of cultural relics began to be brewing. Xie Chensheng, as the main drafter, solicited opinions from many parties, changed his draft several times and revised it repeatedly. After five years, it was finally adopted and promulgated by the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress in November 1982. Cultural relics protection units "must abide by the principle of not changing the original state of cultural relics when repairing, maintaining and moving" have been solemnly written into the law. In 1987, in the drafting process of the notice of the State Council on Further Strengthening the work of cultural relics, Xie Chensheng insisted that "strengthening the protection of cultural relics is the basis of the work of cultural relics and the premise of giving play to the role of cultural relics". In 2002, the newly revised law on the protection of cultural relics was promulgated. Xie Chensheng, as a consultant, participated in the whole process of amending the law, and wrote the 16 character policy of "protection first, rescue first, rational utilization and strengthening management" into the law for the first time. "Since the founding of new China, our work policy on cultural relics has eliminated interference from all aspects. The guiding ideology has always adhered to putting protection first, relying on the masses to protect cultural relics and the legal system to protect cultural relics." In 2019, Mr. Xie Chensheng sighed in an interview, "over the past 70 years, the correct policy of cultural relics work has not changed. It's not easy!" "Protect the soul of national culture and leave a scenic spot for the country and future generations" Xie Chensheng is not only the drafter of the law on the protection of cultural relics, but also a firm executor and defender. In the 1990s, he initiated a joint proposal of the CPPCC to protect the cultural relics of the Three Gorges. Shan Jixiang, President of the Chinese society of cultural relics, was most impressed by Mr. Xie's painstaking efforts to protect the ancient city of Beijing. He also said several times that the protection of urban cultural heritage in Nanjing should not "cherish the present and cherish the rich". Later, whenever the protection of cultural heritage was challenged, everyone would say "find old Xie and find a way". His home phone has become a "cultural protection hotline". Where to demolish and where the old city has been damaged, many cultural protection volunteers will tell him at the first time Many reporters have been to Xie Lao's plain house in Anzhenli, Beijing. Simple cement floors, mottled walls, the most common desks and sofas, and mountains of newspapers and books are always piled on the bed. I wear Chinese cotton padded clothes in winter and don't like to turn on the air conditioner in summer... We also remember the enlightening view of old Xie, "it's better to protect more than dismantle by mistake". On December 9, 2018, the professional committee of famous historical and cultural streets of the Chinese society of cultural relics held its annual meeting. On that day, the wind was very strong and the air was cold. Many experts and scholars of cultural relics protection gathered to share their experience in the protection of historical blocks and community renewal. Old Xie also came and listened carefully in a wheelchair. At half-time, everyone came forward to pay tribute to him, and more people looked at the old man's clean face from a distance "Xie Lao was born with cancer in 1993, but he learned to live in peace with the disease. Surgery, chemotherapy, out of the hospital and continue to run... This state lasted until 2018. His health has been in good and bad times in recent years, which has always been our biggest concern." Shan Jixiang said that the Chinese society of cultural relics will celebrate Mr. Xie's birthday every year and will never wait for this day again. "The mountains and rivers have left a trail of success, and our generation will come again." This is his favorite poem. In 2010, he wrote an article crying out: "protecting the soul of national culture and leaving a victory for the country and future generations is an important step in the process of rejuvenating our ancient nation." Now that Si is dead, the best memory for him is to protect the cultural heritage of the motherland without complaint and regret like him. (outlook new era)