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Ancient Sites along China’s Silk Road Threatened2005/08/14
About 90 percent of the ancient historical sites along the Chinese section of the Silk Road have lost their original looks, and some are even on the brink of extinction, an expert warned at a grottoes forum on July 27, according to the Xinhuanet. Most of the approximately 1,200 ancient cultural relic sites along the 4,000-kilometre section are grottoes or earthen buildings, including the World Heritage Listed Dunhuang Grottoes. The number includes up to 100 sites placed on the State protection list, according to Li Zuixiong, deputy director of the Dunhuang Academy. The 2,000-year-old Silk Road is widely acclaimed as a communications route between China and Europe. The 7,000-kilometre route snakes from Xi'an, capital of Northwest China's Shaanxi Province, through Central Asia, to Rome. The expert blamed wind and rain erosion and desertification for the destruction of these valuable ancient sites, and warned that the weathering may even lead to the collapse of some rock sites and fatal damage to some frescoes. China has hastened its pace in rescuing and protecting endangered ancient sites in recent years, insufficient management and human activity, particularly undisciplined tourist actions, have also badly wrecked some historic sites and artefacts, Liu said during the international grottoes seminar held at the Yungang Grottoes, a 1,500-year-old World Heritage site in North China's Shanxi Province. Another expert who attended the grottoes forum warned that air pollution could be fatal to China's archaeological sites, particularly some World Heritage sites. About half of China's World Heritage sites are located in regions suffering from great air pollution. Zhou, citing his research, appealed for more substantial environmental protection and cultural relics' preservation efforts. |
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