(Xinhua)
Updated: 2008-02-13 18:42

LANZHOU - China has approved a US$36 million protection scheme for the Dunhuang Mogao Grottoes, a listed World Heritage Site in the northwest Gansu Province.

The plan, approved by the National Development and Reform Commission, includes the construction of a digital display hall that can hold 800 visitors and facilities for consolidation, erosion prevention, security and visitor services, the Gansu Provincial Cultural Heritage Bureau said.

Around 70 percent of the investment will come from the central government and the rest from the province.

The 1,600-year-old Mogao Grottoes boast more than 2,000 colored sculptures and 45,000 square meters of frescoes. The site received World Heritage designation in 1987.

"The completion of the service facilities is expected to help reduce the stay time of visitors inside the grottoes," said Wang Xudong, vice president of the Dunhuang Academy, the sole institute authorized to protect, research and manage the Dunhuang grotto treasures.

Vapor and carbon dioxide exhaled by visitors can erode the frescoes and sculptures, according to experts.

The number of domestic and overseas tourists to the Dunhuang grottoes has reached 500,000 annually and continues to rise.

"The small grottoes are often packed with visitors, which poses a severe threat to the preservation of the frescoes and sculptures inside," Wang said.