Ancient Silk Road Art Faces Risks From Climate Change in China
- Dunhuang caves are at increasing risk of damage: Greenpeace
- Sites data back to 4th Century and are famed for Buddhist art
Source: Zhangye Cultural Heritage Administration via Greenpeace
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Artwork and statues in China’s Dunhuang caves have survived sandstorms, political upheaval and tourists for more than a millennium. Now preservationists fear they’re facing their most unrelenting foe yet — climate change.
Extreme weather is bringing increased bouts of heavy rainfall and moisture to the deserts of Gansu province that have preserved the caves and their artwork since they began to spring up in the 4th century, according to Greenpeace East Asia. Delicate paintings are increasingly flaking and peeling, and cracks are forming that could undermine the structural integrity of the caves themselves.