One cultural legacy of China, murals, pose the biggest problem in terms of protection and preservation. This week, the country established a special agency dedicated to the preservation of ancient murals.

The China Engineering and Technical Center for Ancient Murals is located in Dunhuang in the northwestern province of Gansu. The establishment of the centre was approved by the Science and Technology Ministry, with support from the Lanzhou University, Zhejiang University and the Chinese Academy of Sciences.

It's located in Gansu province because of the abundance of wall paintings in the region. The Dunhuang Grottos alone are home to more than 45 thousand square meters of murals. Most of them were commissioned by Buddhist patrons in the Tang Dynasty and have survived over 13 centuries.

The institution is conducting a comprehensive survey of the Dunhuang Grottos. All murals will be photographed and computerized. Data from different sites will be compared for the creation of an efficient restoration plan.