Flooded World Heritage Grottoes in central China re-open to tourists

Chinese tourists visit Buddhist statues at the Longmen Grottoes, a world cultural heritage, near Luoyang City in central China's Henan Province, May 2, 2009, the second day of the three-day May Day holiday. China has a totality of 37 world heritages which attract many tourists in the holiday. (Xinhua/Cheng Qianjun)

The World Heritage-listed Longmen Grottoes in central China's Henan Province re-opened to tourists Tuesday, three days after floods forced authorities to close the site.

The 1,500-year-old grottoes were closed to the public last Saturday as waters from the swollen Yi River -- a branch of the Yellow River, China's second longest waterway -- flooded the trails linking the caves. In some parts, stagnant water rose to a knee-deep level.

But Buddha carvings and other cultural relics have not been damaged.

Tourists are still banned from entering the site at night as lighting has not been fully restored.

Recent floods in Henan have killed at least 52. Twenty others are still missing.