The awarding ceremony is held each year during the “China Cultural Heritage Day” in June in Wuxi.

The appraisal had been carried out since last December with 26 people being shortlisted.

Evaluation from the public and experts saw the Top Ten Distinguished Persons as follows: Gao Zeyou, Director of the Beichuan Qiang folk museum; Wang Jinzhu, Vice Captain of Criminal Detection Division of Yun County Public Security Bureau in Hubei Province; Lin Shuzhong, a professor in Nanjing Arts Institute; Chen Qizong, Chairman of Hang Lung Group in Hong Kong; Liu Qianding, an expert in folk culture from Wuhan; Wang Wenchao, Secretary of Zhengzhou Municipal Committee of CPC; Liu Baoquan, Chairman of China’s Toponymical Cultural Research Institute; Deng Fang team; Mu Sen, a volunteer of the cultural protection in Tianjin; Zhang Wei, Founder of the Old Beijing project.

At the award ceremony, Xie Chensheng and Luo Zhewen, both of whom had been engaging in the cultural heritage protection work for over 60 years, won the Life Achievement Awards.

The appraisal of Man of the Year 2009 of the Protection of Chinese Cultural Heritage has also now kicked off. Anyone, with reference to appraisal criteria, is eligible to enter. The entry form can be downloaded at www.cctv.com and then sent to wbjjpx@163.com.

By Xie Fang