Procuratorates nationwide prosecuted 2,089 individuals for crimes such as tomb raiding and trafficking of cultural relics last year, representing a 37.4 percent year-on-year increase, as stated in the annual work report of China's top procuratorate.

The report was delivered by the procurator-general of the Supreme People's Procuratorate, Ying Yong, on Friday to the ongoing National People's Congress, the country's top legislature, for deliberation.

Procuratorial organs also handled 2,734 public interest litigations in the field of historical and cultural heritage protection, it said.

The Supreme People's Procuratorate and the National Cultural Heritage Administration jointly issued typical cases of public interest litigation to punish cultural relic crimes and protect the Great Wall, guiding the procuratorial organs in handling such cases.

The SPP also strengthened cooperation with the Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development to promote the protection and inheritance of historical and cultural heritage in urban and rural areas.

Moreover, the top procuratorate has intensified guidance with procuratorates in different regions to enhance the protection of red resources and traditional villages, and intangible cultural heritage for public interest, it said.