LHASA, June 13 (Xinhua) -- The first batch of five autonomous region-level archaeological site parks in southwest China's Xizang Autonomous Region was officially inaugurated on Saturday at an event for the Cultural and Natural Heritage Day, marking a new step in the region's archaeological site protection and revitalization.

The five sites include the first Neolithic site discovered in central Xizang. Another showcases the hunting civilization of ancient lake shore communities on the plateau.

Xizang will continue to improve site protection, educational tours, archaeological research, and the construction of public facilities to ensure that archaeological research benefits the public, said Sun Dan, an official with the regional cultural heritage bureau.

China's central government has long attached great importance to protecting cultural resources in Xizang. For instance, China has invested over 110 million yuan (about 16.15 million U.S. dollars) in a conservation and utilization project focused on ancient manuscripts, including the palm-leaf manuscripts of the Potala Palace, according to the region's cultural heritage administration.

In January this year, local cultural and tourism authorities announced that in the fourth national census of cultural relics, Xizang had newly identified 3,346 heritage sites, ranking among the top regions nationwide for new discoveries. ■