【Commentary】Located on the "Silk Road", Tianshui Maijishan Grottoes, known as the "Four Great Grottoes of China" together with Mogao Grottoes, Longmen Grottoes and Yungang Grottoes, recently welcomed many well-known experts and scholars from domestic and foreign academic circles to discuss their protection and utilization value and cultural research and promotion.
【Contemporaneous】President of the Dunhuang Academy Su Bomin
In 2017, with the approval of the Gansu Provincial People's Government, Maijishan Grottoes, Bingling Temple Grottoes and North Grotto Temple were placed under the unified management of the Dunhuang Academy. He has successively completed projects such as the protection of statue murals in Cave 80 of Maijishan Grottoes, the investigation and evaluation of the safety and stability of plank roads, and the digital protection of mural paintings in Cave 135. We will continue to carry out conservation projects such as the protection of statues and murals in caves 28 and other caves, digital display and utilization of caves 3 and 9, and the preparation of archaeological reports such as caves 5 and 74-78.
【Commentary】Maijishan Grottoes have been built for more than 1600,<> years by more than ten dynasties of the Later Qin, Northern Wei, Western Wei, Northern Zhou, Sui and Tang dynasties, the Five Dynasties, the Song, the Yuan, the Ming and the Qing dynasties. Integrating architectural art, color sculpture art and mural art, it is an important material for studying the history of ancient sculpture and art in China, and is known as the "Oriental Sculpture Exhibition Hall". A few days ago, the reporter found in the Maijishan Grotto Buddha Shrine that not only can you see all kinds of temperature and humidity monitoring instruments, but also everywhere on the cliff wall of the cave to see drainage pipes built to cope with rainy weather.
【During the same period】Yue Yongqiang, deputy director of Maijishan Grotto Art Research Institute
In recent years, we have further improved the grotto's ability to cope with risks and disasters through preventive protection measures. For example, the construction of our monitoring and early warning system, as well as some research on the carrying capacity of tourists, and some control of the number of tourists. With the support of the (Dunhuang) Academy, we have done one (digital) collection of two complete caves and one digital production.
At the same time, Yue Yongqiang also pointed out that the stability monitoring and evaluation of some large statues of more than two meters unique to Maijishan Grottoes is still a problem at present. Zhang Ming, deputy research librarian of Maijishan Grotto Art Research Institute, said that in recent years, with people's increasing awareness of the grotto cultural heritage, the promotion of Maijishan Grotto culture is also facing many challenges.
【During the same period】Zhang Ming, deputy research librarian of Maijishan Grotto Art Research Institute
First of all, we want to improve the experience of visitors visiting us, and externally, we will conduct a special exhibition of Maijishan cave art with various museums outside. We also have a social education task, going to campuses, military camps, communities, and so on. It should be said that our current (cave art) promotion work is an all-round work.
【During the same period】He E, executive director of the China Sculpture Society and president of Gansu He E Sculpture Institute
I think it's important for art theorists and sculptors to study the aesthetic value of the finest pieces and masterpieces in the caves, and then to generalize these results to the explanatory (explanatory) words.
Wang Muyu, Cui Lin, Li Yalong reported from Tianshui, Gansu
Responsible Editor: [Lu Yan]