ZHENGZHOU - A museum is needed to preserve rare relics unearthed to make way for the massive south-to-north water transfer project, a central China official said Saturday.

More than 100,000 ancient artifacts were discovered in the relics-rich Henan orovince over nine years during preparation for the project, said Zhang Zhiqing, division head of the provincial bureau of cultural relics.

The province boasts a rich history, with the most unearthed artifacts in the country. Some of the artifacts found helped solve some of the historic mysteries surrounding Henan, Zhang said.

But a dearth of preservation locations has forced authorities to store a large proportion of the valuable relics in local warehouses, adding to concerns about possible damage.

"A museum for relic preservation is seriously needed," Zhang said.

The middle route of the transfer project will see a massive 9.5 billion cubic meters of water per year pumped through canals and pipes from the Danjiangkou reservoir in central China's Hubei Province to the northern provinces of Henan and Hebei and to Beijing.

The project was conceived by Chairman Mao Zedong in 1952. The State Council approved the ambitious project in December 2002 after debate lasting nearly half a century.