The Standing Committee of the Gansu Provincial People's Congress has recently passed a regulation to protect the Mogao Grottoes in Dunhuang City, one of the three major Buddhist art treasures in China.
According to the regulation, the Mogao Grottoes at Dunhuang must retain their original form. No permanent buildings are allowed to be built within the protection zone.
Priority should be given to conservation, wise utilization and improved management, said Liu Shengrong, a senior lawmaker in Gansu. He expressed the hope that the protection and management of the grottoes would be under legal guidance in the future.
The Mogao Grottoes, or the Caves of One Thousand Buddhas, lie on the eastern slope of the Mingsha Mountains in Gansu Province. The grand grottoes date from 336. A total of 735 caves have been found so far. Frescos on the inside walls cover a total area of 45,000 square meters. UNESCO listed the grottoes as a world heritage site in 1988.
(Xinhua News Agency October 9, 2002)
