The Ministry of Culture and Tourism was established in accordance with the Central Committee's Decision on Deepening the Reform of Party and State Institutions, the Plan for Deepening the Reform of Party and State Institutions and the Plan for Institutional Reform in the State Council approved by the First Session of the 13th National People's Congress. It is a part of the State Council and a ministerial department.
The main duties of the Cultural Relics Bureau are: to draw up the development plan of cultural relics and museums, to draw up the standards and methods of cultural relics identification and museum management, to organize the investigation of cultural relics resources, to participate in drafting laws and regulations on cultural relics protection, and to be responsible for supervision and inspection; Coordinate and guide the protection of cultural relics, perform the duties of cultural relics administrative law enforcement inspectors, organize and investigate major cases of illegal cultural relics according to law, and cooperate with relevant departments to investigate major cases of cultural relics crimes.