The recent progress in conservation of cultural heritage in China is reflected in the ongoing consolidation of the foundation for its heritage work. China’s Third National Heritage Site Inventory, launched in the past decade and lasting four and one-half years, was the largest ever carried out in the country. Special surveys of the Great Wall, the Grand Canal, the Silk Road, and underwater heritage resources were conducted at the same time. As a result of these surveys, the number of registered immovable cultural properties soared from 300,000 to 760,000, while the number of state priority protected sites increased from 750 in 2000 to 4,296 today. In addition, the number of priority protected sites at regional and local levels also increased significantly.

CULTURAL HERITAGE CONSERVATION IN CHINA
https://www.getty.edu/conservation/publications_resources/newsletters/31_1/practices_achievements.html

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Some countries, mainly in East Asia, have long recognised the importance of non-material heritage, but the West was slow to recognise as heritage-worthy both living heritage and intangible values associated with places or objects. Where intangible values of places, such as aesthetic value, were recognised as heritage-worthy these were seen as expert defined values rather than community-defined values. Social value was seen as a confirmation of the heritage value of the place rather than an independent aspect of heritage value. In the Western tradition the main criteria for identifying heritage sites have been architectural style and historical significance.

Reference

INTANGIBLE HERITAGE IN CONSERVATION MANAGEMENT PLANNING:
THE CASE OF ROBBEN ISLAND, International Journal of Heritage Studies, 2004, Harriet Deacon