China News Agency, Luoyang, March 6th, title: Visiting the "overhaul" of the Longmen Grottoes: 40,000 meters of steel pipe woven "surgical gown"

  Author Kan Li

  "The construction site used 40,000 meters of steel pipes and 8,000 square meters of protective nets." As of the 5th, the progress of the main project of the "overhaul" of the Longmen Grottoes in Luoyang, Henan has been over half.

  After more than 50 years, Fengxian Temple of Longmen Grottoes has once again started a large-scale protection project for water seepage control and reinforcement of dangerous rock masses.

Water leakage and dangerous rock mass disease are the main "causes" of the Longmen Grottoes.

  The Longmen Grottoes were first carved during the reign of Emperor Xiaowen of the Northern Wei Dynasty and flourished in the Tang Dynasty.

The Lushena Buddha standing in Fengxian Temple represents the highest artistic level of the Longmen Grottoes.

  Recently, a reporter from China News Agency stood on the other side of Dongshan Mountain in Longmen Grottoes Scenic Spot.

The "surgical gown" woven of 40,000-meter steel pipes and protective nets still can't stop the "smile" of the Buddha, and the outline of the Buddha statue is faintly visible.

  In order to reduce the impact on tourists' visits, the "overhaul" of the Longmen Grottoes is semi-open.

At the construction site, an endless stream of tourists rushed to take pictures in front of the Lusena Buddha, which was covered in "surgical gowns".

  The reporter climbed the 50-meter-high scaffolding to the top of the Lusena Buddha and saw that many construction workers hung ropes around their waists and climbed on the steeply sloping rock walls to clean up the residual dust in the cracks.

  It is reported that the restoration area is mainly concentrated in Fengxian Temple, which is carried out in accordance with the content of the plan approved by the cultural relics department.

Fan Zilong, a cultural relics protection expert at the Longmen Grottoes Research Institute in Luoyang, said, "This protection project will restore the dangerous rock mass on the top and both sides of the Buddha, and does not involve the body of the Buddha."

  He said that the control of seepage water is one of the difficulties of this protection project. "A small amount of seepage occurs along the cracks of the rock mass, and it is difficult for us to find the seepage without a pressurized water test."

  In fact, not only water seepage, but also the detection of fissures in the depths of the rock mass is a difficult problem for grotto protection workers.

  In this regard, Fan Zilong called on universities and research institutions to participate in it.

For example, their existing technology can only detect and analyze the surface of the rock mass, and the limestone area where the grotto is located has karstification, and fissures tens of meters deep will continue to develop, "this brings great challenges to the protection work."

  The reporter learned that while the Longmen Grottoes carried out the "overhaul" of Fengxian Temple, they also cooperated with colleges and universities to conduct a comprehensive "physical examination". Through non-destructive testing and other technologies, the weathering degree and moisture content of the surface of the caves and cultural relics were measured to form a complete picture. Grotto Disease Investigation Report.

  "The ongoing protection project is a salvage restoration." Shi Jiazhen, director of the Luoyang Longmen Grottoes Research Institute, said in an exclusive interview with a reporter from China News Agency that the investigation on the disease of the grottoes aims to provide a basis for the next step to formulate an overall protection plan for the Longmen Grottoes.

  He said that the next protection of the Longmen Grottoes requires multi-departmental cooperation, multi-disciplinary participation, and the application of various scientific and technological means to realize the overall digitization of the Longmen Grottoes.

  At present, the "overhaul" site staff are overcoming construction difficulties and strive to complete the main project by the end of March this year.

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