A scientific research base for the protection of China's ancient murals has been set up in Mogao Grottoes in Dunhuang, northwest China's Gansu Province.

It is believed that the project will help improve scientific and technological research on ancient Chinese murals.

The predecessor of the China Scientific Research Base of Ancient Mural Protection was the Protection Institute of Dunhuang Academy, which had made lots of achievements on grottoes protection and reparation of murals and cultural relics.

With the cooperation between China and the United States in murals protection project for the No. 85 grotto of Mogao Grottoes, a package of scientific procedures and effective measures have been conducted for the protection and reparation of murals.

The institute's research results have been widely used in the protection and restoration of the Potala Palace, the Sagya Temple and Norpu Lingka garden in the Tibet Autonomous Region as well as grottoes along the ancient Silk Road.

The China Scientific Research Base of Ancient Mural Protection will mainly study the protection of murals and painted sculptures and develop relevant technologies, including the protection techniques of ancient relics.

Wang Xudong, head of the base, said the researchers at the base would devote themselves to improving mural protection and training more experts in the field.

(Xinhua News Agency January 26, 2006)