"Protection first, rescue first, rational utilization and strengthening management" is the 16-character policy of cultural relics work in China, which is stipulated in the Law of People's Republic of China (PRC) on the Protection of Cultural Relics.
Give priority to protection and rescue, that is, develop in protection, protect in development, and give priority to protection forever. At the same time, we should actively rescue endangered cultural relics to prevent damage or loss.
Rational utilization and strengthening management are to correctly handle the relationship between protection and utilization, make good use of cultural relics on the premise of protecting them, improve the level of cultural relics protection, strengthen management and ensure their safety.
The sixteen-character policy of cultural relics work in China embodies the importance, urgency and arduousness of cultural relics protection. It is the fundamental policy of doing a good job in cultural relics protection and the basic principle of realizing the mutual promotion and coordinated development of cultural relics protection and utilization.