Academy celebrates 70 years' efforts in restoring Mogao Grottoes artwork

Deep within a network of caves lining the Dunhuang oasis in Gansu province, thousands of 1,600-year-old Buddhist sculptures sit in silent decay.

The Mogao Grottoes collection of Buddhist artworks, which occupies the caves in a 1,700-meter cliff, is considered one of the finest in existence. It was listed as a World Heritage Site in 1987.

With most of the frescoes and sculptures dating to 400 AD, hundreds of years spent in the damp confines of the caves have taken their toll on the precious works, says Wang Xudong, deputy director of the Dunhuang Research Academy.