Longmen Grottoes - Preservation and Restoration

Preservation and Restoration

As one of the major activities achieved in this direction is the recognition given to the monuments by UNESCO in declaring the Longmen’s Grottoes as a heritage monument, after due evaluation over a period, and inscribing it in the World Heritage List based on "Criteria (i), (ii), and (iii); Criterion (i), the sculptures of the Longmen Grottoes are an outstanding manifestation of human artistic creativity; Criterion (ii) the Longmen Grottoes illustrate the perfection of a long-established art form which was to play a highly significant role in the cultural evolution of this region of Asia; and Criterion (iii), the high cultural level and sophisticated society of Tang Dynasty China is encapsulated in the exceptional stone carvings of the Longmen Grottoes." This also enjoins on the Government of China to take adequate steps to preserve the monuments to its heritage status as per guidelines issued from time to time after frequent inspections of the site.

The Longmen Grottoes have undergone many concerted efforts of identifying, demarcating, planning and implementing restoration works since 1951. To start with, a weather monitoring station was established near the grottoes to assess the environmental conditions prevailing in the area to plan appropriate restoration measures. This was followed by intensive restoration works, initially in the form of strengthening of the rock bases to arrest seepage of water from the roofs and sides of the grottoes. Overgrown vegetation with roots was cleared. Approach conditions to access the caves were newly installed in the form of railings, footpaths and walkways with steps. All the efforts taken by the government of China over the last nearly six decades has ensured that the grottoes are preserved in a fairly presentable state of conservation. All this has been achieved by integrated action by three institutions namely; the China Institution of Cultural Relics Protection who provided the professional scientific inputs, the China University of Geosciences and the Longmen Cultural Relics Care Agency. Funds for the studies and restoration works have been provided for under the Revised Five-Year and Ten-Year Plans approved by the People’s Government of Luoyang City, in 1999.