By doing so, Yinchuan will be gradually transformed into an academic, cultural and information center for studying cliff paintings around the globe, said Li Wenjie, a cliff painting expert.

The State Development Planning Commission has assigned special funds for the early preparation of the move. The Ningxia regional government has placed the construction of the cliff painting museum and park high on agenda.

According to the preliminary plan, the cliff painting museum will be made up of an international gallery, China gallery, Ningxia gallery and comprehensive information gallery. The cliff painting park is to house cliff paintings scattered in various parts of the world.

Cliff painting, one of the most popular art forms, has been discovered in over 120 countries. China has found thousands of cliff paintings in over 20 provinces.

Helan Mountain, once a nomadic area, is home to thousands of cliff paintings carved by nomads in northern China some 2,000 years ago. The paintings are scattered over an area stretching several hundreds of kilometers in Yinchuan.

(Xinhua 10/07/2000)