Staff at the Longmen Grottoes, the world's largest treasure trove of stone carvings, highlighted the importance of preserving cultural heritage following President Xi Jinping's encouragement for protecting historical legacies while boosting cultural and tourism industries. Xi on Monday inspected the Longmen Grottoes in Luoyang City, Henan Province. "President Xi paid close attention to the preservation efforts of Longmen Grottoes. He inquired in detail about the overall layout of the grotto statues, the current preservation status, and existing issues. What struck me most was how President Xi, while interacting with tourists, emphasized that China's 5,000-year civilization is well-documented and traceable. He encouraged everyone to visit more often and urged children to come and learn about it. We are deeply inspired and feel a great sense of responsibility," said Yu Jie, Party secretary of the Longmen Grottoes Academy. The 1,500-year-old Longmen Grottoes are one of China's Four Great Grottoes and have been acclaimed by UNESCO as the "pinnacle of Chinese stone carving art." Its construction began during the reign of Emperor Xiaowen of the Northern Wei Dynasty (386-534) and lasted for as many as 400 years. It now boasts 2,345 caves and niches, housing nearly 110,000 Buddhist stone statues, making the grottoes stand out in a city famous for rich cultural relics.
In July 2022, restoration works at the Fengxian Temple of the Longmen Grottoes were completed -- the first major restoration in 50 years. "President Xi has shown great concern for the protection of cultural relics, which has strengthened our resolve to preserve cultural heritage with even greater determination," said Liu Yi, member of Grotto Protection Research and Heritage at Monitoring Center under the Longmen Grottoes Research Institute. President Xi also visited Luoyang's White Horse Temple, China's first Buddhist temple, to learn about heritage conservation efforts. "President Xi's visit motivates us to protect, inherit, and utilize cultural heritage while deepening Buddhism's integration with traditional Chinese culture," said Miao Tong, the temple administrator of White Horse Temple.
Xi's visit inspires Longmen Grottoes staff to champion cultural preservation
