According to the news from Sichuan Provincial Department of Culture and Tourism on December 27 that, the Ministry of Culture and Tourism of PRC published the list of the first batch of seven national cultural ecology conservation areas, in which Sichuan's Qiang Cultural Ecology Conservation Area was listed.

　　National cultural ecology conservation area refers to the integrated protection of cultural forms with rich historical and cultural accumulation, good existence state, great value and distinctive features, taking the protection of intangible cultural heritages as the core. From 2007 to 2018, the Ministry of Culture and Tourism of PRC has approved the establishment of 21 national cultural ecology conservation areas. After inspection, acceptance and expert review, the list of the first seven national cultural ecology conservation areas was finally published.

　　Sichuan's National Qiang Cultural Ecology Conservation Area was approved in October 2008, which is centered on Wenchuan County, Li County and Mao County of Aba Tibetan and Qiang Autonomous Prefecture and Beichuan Qiang Autonomous County of Mianyang City, as well as some related areas of adjacent Songpan County and Heishui County of Aba Tibetan and Qiang Autonomous Prefecture and Pingwu County of Mianyang City, covering 971 villages in 102 townships of seven counties, with a total area of 23,225.83 square kilometers. Sichuan's National Qiang Cultural Ecology Conservation Area is home to 819,000, of which 278,200 are Qiang people, accounting for more than 96% of China's Qiang population.