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SCIO press conference on strengthening heritage conservation to carry forward Chinese civilization

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China Education Television:

We have noticed the media recently reported that climate change is having some impacts on the Mogao Grottoes in Dunhuang. Some media even quoted some people as saying that mountain floods, cave collapses, and humidity spikes are already taking place. My question is: Have the cultural relics protection authorities noticed the potential dangers that these problems might bring? Also, how can we respond effectively to these factors of climate change? Thank you.

Deng Chao:

Thank you for your question. We have observed the recent media reports. First, I assure you that the alleged phenomena of surging humidity, mountain torrents, and cave collapses, as reported by the media, do not exist in the Dunhuang Mogao Grottoes. The Dunhuang Mogao Grottoes are located in the arid regions of northwest China. The cultural relics there, made from special materials, are extremely sensitive to climate change. The Dunhuang Academy continues to monitor and study the climatic changes in the area where the Mogao Grottoes are located. Over 30 years of monitoring data indicate that the average annual precipitation in the area where the Mogao Grottoes are located is around 40 millimeters. The region predominantly experiences light to moderate rainfall, with only six instances of heavy and torrential rainfall. The regional climate is generally warm and dry. In recent decades, there have been no cave collapses.

Second, the preservation efforts of the cultural relics in the Dunhuang Mogao Grottoes have delivered remarkable results. Since the 18th CPC National Congress in 2012, the NCHA has approved and implemented 51 protective initiatives, such as the protection of the main body of the Mogao Grottoes, reinforcing the cliff body, and improving the environment. To date, the Dunhuang Academy has completed the comprehensive protection and repair of 86 caves. They have established a complete set of key technical systems for ancient murals protection, gravel rock cave cliffs reinforcement, comprehensive protection against wind and sand disasters, and grotto monitoring and early warning. We've also established the National Engineering Technology Research Center for the Protection of Ancient Murals and Earthen Sites. As for the specific climate change response measures, on the one hand, the issue of rainwater infiltrating the caves has been thoroughly resolved through the reinforcement of thin-roofed caves and the installation of cave doors. This mitigates the impact of external climate change on the micro-environment within the caves. On the other hand, through comprehensive monitoring, changes in cave temperature and humidity can be detected promptly, and dynamic operation management has been implemented to ensure that the micro-environment within the caves remains within the safety threshold in the long term. Simultaneously, we collaborated closely with the meteorological department to establish a robust storm and flood warning system and an emergency command platform for flash floods. This allows us early access to meteorological change data, predict adverse weather events effectively, and implement contingency plans and protective measures in a timely manner.

Next, we will continue to do a good job in the preservation of the Mogao Grottoes. We will guide the Dunhuang Academy in revising the Dunhuang Mogao Grottoes Protection Master Plan, implement the Medium- and long-term Work Plan for the Preservation of Murals and Colored Sculptures at the Mogao Grottoes, and concentrate on enhancing our comprehensive protection capabilities for the caves. We will carry out the third phase of the Mogao Grottoes flood control project to minimize the threat of floods to the safety of the Mogao Grottoes' cultural relics under extreme weather conditions. We will accelerate the construction of smart cave doors and improve our ability to control the micro-environment within the caves. The Mogao Grottoes serve as an example in this regard. We have implemented many measures to tackle climate change in the field of ancient ruins and cave temples. The NCHA, in collaboration with the Chongqing Municipal People's Government, will hold the first international forum on cave temple preservation in Dazu district, Chongqing, on August 19. The forum will center on the protection of cave temples in the face of climate change. We welcome our media friends to participate. Thank you all.