2023-07-18 13:20:00
Murals on China’s ancient Silk Road are “directly threatened” by extreme rainfall, study finds
A mural in the East Cave of Jinta Temple in China’s Gansu province crumbles and peels off due to the effects of humidity on April 27. (Credit: Greenpeace/Zhangye Cultural Heritage Administration)
China’s ancient Buddhist murals and statues along the Silk Road are “directly threatened” by climate change-related extreme rainfall, according to research published Monday by Greenpeace.
The Mogao Caves, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, form a system of nearly 500 caves dating back to the 4th century and home to some 45,000 square meters of murals and more than 2,000 painted sculptures, as well as thousands of manuscripts.
According to UNESCO, its discovery in 1990 in the northwestern Chinese province of Gansu has been hailed as “the world’s greatest find of ancient oriental culture” and an invaluable reference for the study of ancient China and Central Asia.
On Monday, cultural heritage conservation experts from the Dunhuang Research Academy and climate scientists from Greenpeace East Asia met in Beijing to discuss the impact of extreme rainfall in Gansu, climate change and what it means for cultural heritage. Chinese.
In their statement, Greenpeace warned that the Dunhuang and Zhangye fields in Gansu are already showing deterioration due to periods of heavy rain, humidity and rapid weather fluctuations, according to the researchers.
“Gansu is famous for its caves and for the art stored inside for centuries,” said Li Zhao, a senior researcher at Greenpeace East Asia’s Beijing office. “Increased precipitation in the desert poses a serious risk. Moisture spikes, flash floods and landslides are already happening.”
The report highlights that total rainfall in Gansu province has increased overall, while the number of days with rainfall has decreased, meaning that when it does rain, it does so more extreme. This follows global climate trends that show an increase in extreme precipitation around the world, including an increase in the number of heat waves and droughts around the world.
In Gansu province, rainfall between December 2021 and February 2022 was 76% higher than in previous years and the highest since 1961, according to the provincial meteorological administration.
When water vapor levels reach 60-65% humidity, saturation can cause salt to crystallize on the paint surface, causing flaking and chipping. According to Greenpeace, investigations show that some deposits already present “major scales and detachments.”
The report comes as China begins its fourth national cultural heritage survey this year to record the status of the country’s historical artifacts.
“By the end of this study, some objects may have disappeared,” Li said.
The release of the report also comes as US climate envoy John Kerry visits Beijing for talks with his Chinese counterpart Xie Zhenhua and other senior officials.
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