The strong earthquake in southwest China's Sichuan Province has severely damaged more than 100 cultural relics including a World Heritage site, said local cultural authorities on Saturday.

The quake damaged 45 cultural relics under state protection and 59 others under provincial protection, including the building complex of Dujiangyan, an ancient irrigation network built in the 3rd century B.C. and still in use today.

Some ancient buildings were completely demolished in the quake, local cultural officials said.

(Xinhua News Agency May 17, 2008)