BEIJING, Nov. 15 (Xinhua) -- A white paper released Thursday by the State Council Information Office said Xinjiang's cultural heritage is being protected and carried forward.

　　Xinjiang is a region rich in cultural heritage, it said. The central government and the local government of Xinjiang have made a continuous effort to strengthen the legal system for the protection of the region's cultural heritage.

　　Protection of cultural heritage yields results, said the white paper, titled "Cultural Protection and Development in Xinjiang," adding that Xinjiang has formed a cultural heritage protection network comprising 189 institutions at all levels.

　　By the end of 2017 Xinjiang had 9,542 cultural heritage sites, of which six were World Heritage sites, it said.

　　The white paper said archeological findings attract wide attention and protection of ancient books has been strengthened.

　　It said the Chinese government has supported the translation, editing and publishing into Chinese and Uygur languages of Kutadgu Bilig (Wisdom of Fortune and Joy) and A Comprehensive Turki Dictionary, two works of the Karahan Kingdom period in the 11th century.