[Buddha-l] preserving frescoes at Mogao, China

[jkirk]

HYPERLINK
"http://www.buddhistchannel.tv/index.php?id=4,5897,0,0,1,0"http://www.buddhi
stchannel.tv/index.php?id=4,5897,0,0,1,0
 
Excerpt:
Among the world's greatest collections of Buddhist art, the cave frescoes
date back 1,650 years and were created as eternal tributes to Buddha near
the Silk Road, an ancient channel of commerce and religious exchange.

The plan, approved by the National Development and Reform Commission,
includes the construction of a digital display hall that can hold 800
visitors and facilities for consolidation, erosion prevention, security and
visitor services, the Gansu Provincial Cultural Heritage Bureau said.

The 1,600-year-old Mogao Grottoes boast more than 2,000 colored sculptures
and 45,000 square meters of frescoes. The site received World Heritage
designation in 1987.

"The completion of the service facilities is expected to help reduce the
stay time of visitors inside the grottoes," said Wang Xudong, vice president
of the Dunhuang Academy, the sole institute authorized to protect, research
and manage the Dunhuang grotto treasures.

Vapor and carbon dioxide exhaled by visitors can erode the frescoes and
sculptures, according to experts.

The number of domestic and overseas tourists to the Dunhuang grottoes has
reached 500,000 annually and continues to rise.


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