Kumtag, China's sixth largest desert, is expanding by 1 to 4 meters eastward annually, posing a threat to the Mogao Grottoes (莫高窟), also known as the Caves of 1,000 Buddhas (千佛洞), in northwestern Gansu (甘肅) Province.
Dunhuang (敦煌), of which 90 percent has surrendered to desertification.
The Mogao Grottoes, one of China's most popular tourist destinations, were
listed as a world heritage site by UNESCO (聯合國教育科學暨文化組織) in 1987. Altogether 735 caves have been found and frescos on the inside walls cover an area of 45,000 square meters. The caves also hold 2,400 colored Buddha statues.
Funds have been appropriated by the central and local governments for the
reforestation and desert control to guard the ancient heritage site. The effort,
though, is weak, compared with the austere ecological degradation. The
full-scale scientific research has been seen as an important part of the
integrated efforts to curb the desertification.
No comments:
Post a Comment