Dunhuang, a northwestern Chinese city on the ancient Silk Road, was the meeting point of four civilizations. Today, as cultural treasures at the Mogao Grottoes in Dunhuang endure the test of time, their preservation stands as a testament to the unwavering dedication of countless Dunhuang guardians across generations, and to the country's protection for such heritages.
In this episode of series documentary titled "Classic Quotes by Xi Jinping", three generations of mural protectors tell their lives intertwined with the cultural heritage, underscoring their steadfast commitment to their labor.
Dunhuang Academy's technician Fan Zaixuan has been restoring murals in the Mogao Grottoes for more than 40 years. Since he arrived in Dunhuang in 1981, he has learned skills passed down from older generations of Mogao Grottoes preservers, such as Li Yunhe, an expert in mural restoration at the Dunhuang Academy who is now over 90 years old.
"I first arrived at the Mogao Grottoes in Dunhuang on the night of March 31, 1981, when it was already dark. I could only hear the sound of the wind chimes from the Nine-story Building, which was very mysterious, and I was so excited that I didn't sleep for the whole night. At dawn the next day, my peers and I went to the caves to see murals and statues. We were totally shocked!" says Fan.
As an old Chinese saying from one Daoist Huainanzi compendium goes, "All things in the world have their laws for survival and development, but they know how to preserve their roots." China cherishes the historical and cultural heritage left by its ancestors. And because of this sense of history, the Chinese civilization has grown and flourished.
Acknowledging the importance of preserving such legacy from ancestors, the Dunhuang heritage is safeguarded from one generation to the next.
Now, Fan teaches his students. Dai Chuan, who was born in the 1990s, has already spent over a decade protecting the Dunhuang Academy murals. Fan hopes that young people such as Dai can carry the responsibility of protecting the Mogao Grottoes for the next thousand years.
"My name is Dai Chuan. I was born in the 1990s. I have worked to protect murals in Dunhuang Academy for 10 years. My mentor, Fan Zaixuan, is over 60 years old now," says Dai.
Fan explains that it can take anywhere from one to two days to restore just one square meter of a deteriorated mural. Over the course of his career, he has restored an area equivalent to the size of a large cave within the Mogao Grottoes.
"A square meter of damaged mural paintings may require more than one day to two days to be restored. I've been involved in mural restoration work for more than 40 years, so far the area I have restored is probably the size of a large cave in the Mogao Grottoes," says Fan.
When Fan first began the actual repair work, the team faced particularly tough conditions, mainly due to the lack of technology and useful tools.
The two restoration technicians note that older generations of Mogao Grottoes staff have encountered even more challenging conditions in their time. Therefore, current protectors can learn a great deal from them, about the spirit of safeguarding the Mogao Grottoes and their passion for their profession. This spirit has been passed down from generation to generation.
"At that time, the old generation like Mr. Li Yunhe and many other predecessors, gave us a lot of trust and expectations," says Fan.
Fan's teacher, Li Yunhe, says that he has dedicated his entire life to this endeavor. Even as age may eventually reduce his ability to work actively, he remains committed to visiting the Grottoes because this has become an integral part of his life.
"I've been doing this all my life. When I'm getting too old and unable to work, I'll come and watch. It feels I can't separate from them," says Li.
The two younger technicians also emphasize their commitment to continuing to contribute to the preservation of the heritage.
"After all, I will slowly grow old. I also hope that young people take their responsibility for the country and history, and protect the Mogao Grottoes to the next thousand years," says Fan.
"I am also willing to make the inheritance of Dunhuang culture my lifelong endeavor," says Dai.
President Xi Jinping said that ancestors left us with historical and cultural treasures, which we must preserve to ensure the continuity of Chinese civilization.
"Historical and cultural heritages are what our ancestors have left us and we must pass them down intact to future generations. All things in the world have their laws for survival and development, but they know how to preserve their roots. And because of this sense of roots, Chinese civilization has grown and flourished till today," Xi said at the Central Urban Work Conference on December 20, 2015, quoting from "Yuan Dao Xun" (Teaching on the Original Way), the first session of the Huainanzi compendium that was compiled over 2,100 years ago by an ancient state prince.
Dunhuang heritage protected generation after generation
