Cave treasures saved

Mati Temple complex finalizes digitization project to preserve and research grottoes, Fang Aiqing and Ma Jingna in Lanzhou report.

A digitization project of the Mati Temple Grottoes in Zhangye, Northwest China's Gansu province, that aims at high-fidelity preservation of its grottoes was completed recently, according to the city's cultural relics preservation office.

Launched in June last year, the project, with a subsidy of 3.89 million yuan ($545,000) from the central government, was set up to collect digital information of the temple's surroundings, scan the murals in the grottoes, make 3D reconstruction of the painted sculptures and caves, as well as a panoramic roaming system.

It provides a new approach for preservation and research of the grottoes that were built on red sandstone at an altitude of about 2,500 meters, with the risk of weathering and efflorescence.

Zhang Zhiyong, director of the administration office of Zhangye's cultural relics preservation and research institute, says the data collection and processing work was over in August. Quality testing will be carried out when the pandemic situation turns better.

The Jinta Temple grottoes, as part of the Mati Temple Grottoes, are known for housing the only domestic hanging sculptures of flying apsaras.[Photo provided to China Daily]