BEIJING - China's central government has approved a plan to protect and showcase cultural resources in northwestern Gansu province, as part of a drive to promote cultural prosperity and support economically underdeveloped regions.

Minister of Culture Cai Wu announced on Tuesday that the General Office of the State Council, or China's Cabinet, on Jan 21 green-lit the construction of the "Inheritance and Innovation Zone of Chinese Civilization" in Gansu, an important cradle of the Chinese nation.

The project is in line with the goal, put forward by the sixth plenary session of the 17th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC) and the 18th CPC National Congress, to "build the country into a socialist cultural power," he said at a press conference hosted by the State Council Information Office.

In ancient times, Gansu was an important gateway for exchanges between Chinese and Western civilizations, and it now boasts "a large amount of irreplaceable cultural resources," Cai noted.

"The project, once completed, will help to protect, inherit and showcase these unique cultural resources in a more effective manner," he said.

Moreover, by tapping into the province's resources, the zone is of exemplary significance for other regions that are economically underdeveloped yet culturally rich, Cai added.