Lanzhou (CNS) -- The statues and murals of the Dunhuang Mogao Grotto, a World Heritage site on the Silk Road, are suffering from severe weathering and sand blows, according to the Gansu provincial government.
Official statistics showed the past 20 years saw an increase of desertification land of almost 20 square kilometers surrounding the Dang River area near Dunhuang, which used to be an important stopover on the Silk Road.
Over the same time span, the Kumtagh Desert is expanding, two to four meters a year, towards Dunhuang.
Deteriorating ecology in Dunhuang poses a big threat to the preservation of precious cultural heritages, said Chen Lei, minister of water resources, when he was visiting Dunhuang.
The Dunhuang municipal government has invested over 100 million yuan on preservation of cultural heritages. Projects dedicated to the Mogao Grotto, such as the construction of museums and a tourism center, have started in an effort to protect the site.
