LANZHOU -- Xi Jinping, general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, has called for well preserving the quintessence of Chinese culture.

Xi made the remarks on Monday at a symposium at Dunhuang Academy with relevant experts, scholars and representatives from cultural units, during his inspection tour of Northwest China's Gansu province.

Xi stressed the need to help carry forward and promote traditional culture.

He also called for more efforts in cultural exchanges with other countries and learning from the outstanding achievements of civilizations from around the world.