Local government has spent more than 2.3 million yuan (about US$277,000) in protection of the Madai Culture, from which archaeologists have discovered over 500 cultural relics such as paddy traces, pottery, ancient roads, guest houses, residences and beacon towers.

Archaeologists surmised that the site of Madai Culture was possibly the place where people brought rice planting techniques to Japan from China.

The government and local residents have held a series of ancient culture festivals to arouse people's awareness on protecting the relics.

Recently, a villager named Xu Dexun unearthed a rare porcelain pot and immediately sent it to a cultural relics protection office in the Madai town. Experts later found that the item was made in the Tang Dynasty (618-907).

In addition, the town has erected signs, set up a museum and a park and passed regulations to protect the cultural relics of Madai Culture.

(People's Daily 10/22/2000)