China to restore protective eaves to ancient Buddhist grottoes

Xinhua, May 8, 2011

TAIYUAN, China -- Archaeologists and engineers are working to restore protective eaves and attics to the 15,000-year-old Yungang Buddhist Grottoes, a world heritage site in northern Shanxi Province, to slow down its weathering.

The restoration is to take two years and cost roughly 50 million yuan (7.69 million U.S. dollars), said Zhang Zhuo, head of Yungang Grottoes Research Institute. He said the grottoes are facing serious threat of erosion as most of the original protective eaves have been damaged over time.

Engineers will first work on six most-damaged grotto caves, where some of the grotto columns are likely to collapse, he said.

The Yungang Buddhist Grottoes in Datong City boast 51,000 Buddhist images in 53 caves stretching for one kilometer along a cliff. The carving of the grottoes started 1,500 years ago. It was listed as a UNESCO World Cultural Heritage site in 2001.
The Buddhist Channel - Donate to Support Our Work



An Appeal

In deep gratitude for your support! We are half way to meeting our target (US$ 10,400 of US$ 18,000 already achieved)!

The Buddhist Channel is a dedicated group of "mindful communication practitioners" striving to make a positive impact on the Buddhist community. We deeply believe in the power of mindful journalism and are reaching out to you with a heartfelt request for your support. Your donation, no matter the size, can make a tangible difference in the lives of countless Buddhist monastics, local communities and other dedicated engaged workers. With your help, we make their stories known, and thereby opening up avenues for them to obtain sustainable support for their work.

Please indicate whether your support will be a donation or a loan. We will get back to you via email. We thank you in advance for providing us financial relieve. May the Buddha Dharma ever be your guide and protector.

Note: To date, we have received the following:

US$ 900 from Esa Myllykoski (donation)
US$ 9,500 from Lance Edwards/Kau Soo Kin (loan)

We express our deep gratitude for the support and generosity.

If you have any enquiries, please write to: editor@buddhistchannel.tv

TOP