Home>News Center>China
       
 

Arid conditions threaten Mogao Grottoes
By Ma Lie (China Daily)
Updated: 2006-02-27 05:23

XI'AN: The Mogao Grottoes, a site on the World Heritage list, is being threatened by increasing arid conditions, say experts.

The intensified desertification caused by water shortages in the area has harmed the preservation of the cultural relics in recent years.

The grottoes are located on a cliff about 25 kilometres southeast of Dunhuang, a city in a desert in the southwest of Gansu Province in Northwest China.

More than half of the murals and painted sculptures in 492 caves are suffering from colour changes or crisping and peeling, as well as other damage linked to an increasing number of sandstorms, said Wang Wanfu, deputy director of the Relics Preservation Research Institute under the Dunhuang Academy.

The water shortage in Dunhuang has mainly been caused by the increasing demand for supplies by residents and tourists, the relics protection expert told China Daily.

Formed since AD 366, the grottoes are made up of a 1,680-metre-long complex with 735 caves from different dynasties. Of the total, 492 in the south were for worshipping purposes and the remaining 243 in the north were used by monks to live in, Wang said.

Since 1987, when the grottoes were put on the World Heritage list by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, they have attracted more and more tourists from both home and abroad.

Local farmers have been pumping underground water for agricultural irrigation since the 1970s, and at present there are more than 1,500 such irrigation wells across Dunhuang, sources from the local water conservancy department said.

It has caused the level of underground water to drop by about 50 centimetres annually over the past 25 years, according to Ma Yucheng, deputy director of Dunhuang Municipal Water Authority.

The drop has also caused grassland degeneration and wetland withering, the official said.

The serious situation has drawn attention from local officials. Dunhuang municipal government has banned the drilling of new irrigation wells, and plans to develop a more efficient agriculture system to save water, according to Zhang Ping, Dunhuang's deputy mayor.

The local government has suggested creating a water diversion project for several years, which has been put aside because of fund shortages and arduous construction, Zhang said.

(China Daily 02/27/2006 page3)



Space exhibition in Changchun
Snowstorm in Shenyang
Road accident kills 24 in Guizhou
  Today's Top News     Top China News
 

Chen's move 'will trigger serious crisis'

 

   
 

Nation to ratify convention on terrorism

 

   
 

Official: Massive bird flu outbreak possible

 

   
 

Plastic heart gives hope to kids

 

   
 

China issues plans public health emergencies

 

   
 

Chinese war victims get legal aid

 

   
  40% Chinese dissatisfied with local govt services
   
  Top legislature to target terror financing
   
  Official: Massive bird flu outbreak possible
   
  Schoolmasters punished for charging extra fees
   
  23 officials punished for child-trafficking
   
  China's Internet media calls for self-discipline
   
 
  Go to Another Section  
 
 
  Story Tools  
   
Manufacturers, Exporters, Wholesalers - Global trade starts here.
Advertisement
         
主站蜘蛛池模板: 亚洲人成亚洲精品| 啊灬啊灬别停啊灬用力啊免费| 99久久综合狠狠综合久久aⅴ| 成年美女黄网站色大片免费看| 亚洲AV无码有乱码在线观看| 欧美视频一区二区三区在线观看 | 一级毛片免费的| 日本一道综合久久aⅴ免费| 九色在线观看视频| 99久久伊人精品综合观看| 欧美色图一区二区| 偷偷狠狠的日日高清完整视频| 美女内射无套日韩免费播放| 国产丰满麻豆videossexhd| 高清国产一级毛片国语| 国产真实乱子伦精品视手机观看 | 一二三四视频中文字幕在线看| 国精产品wnw2544a| a级毛片免费全部播放无码| 好紧好爽好大好深在快点视频| 中文字幕一区二区三区久久网站 | 黄页网站在线观看视频| 国产精品免费无遮挡无码永久视频 | 国产一区中文字幕| 超清中文乱码字幕在线观看| 国产成人AV综合色| 久久6这里只有精品| 国产第一福利影院| 你懂的国产精品| 国产精品国产精品国产专区不卡| 91在线你懂的| 国内自产拍自a免费毛片| 99精品视频在线| 天堂中文字幕在线观看| jizz在线播放| 天天干天天拍天天操| jianema.cn| 天天做天天添婷婷我也去| a大片大片网y| 大狠狠大臿蕉香蕉大视频| a级成人毛片免费视频高清|