China has over 870,000 intangible culture heritage items that need protection, according to a national culture survey, the Beijing News reported Thursday.

The Ministry of Culture did the survey before the opening of the fifth Chinese Culture Heritage Day, which is June 12, said Vice Minister Wang Wenzhang at a press conference Wednesday. China has already invested 1.79 billion yuan on intangible culture heritage protection, Wang said.

When asked whether Fengshui would be included, Wang said that such folk beliefs need in-depth research and group discussions, and that the final decision has not been made.

Fengshui is what ancient Chinese used to explain the nature of the world. It can be regarded as a system that utilizes Yijing (or I Ching), five elements, eight trigrams, and nine flying stars to give guidance on how they affect people's well-being, wealth, etc.

(China Daily June 4, 2010)