China’s ancient Buddhist murals and statues along the Silk Road are under “direct threat” from extreme rainfall linked to climate change, according to research released Monday by Greenpeace.
The Mogao Caves, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, form a system of nearly 500 caves dating back to the 4th century that house around 45,000 square meters of murals and more than 2,000 painted sculptures, as well as thousands of manuscripts.
According to UNESCO, their discovery in 1990 in China’s northwestern Gansu province has been hailed as “the world’s greatest discovery of ancient Oriental culture” and an invaluable reference for studying ancient China and Central Asia.
On Monday, cultural heritage conservation experts from the Dunhuang Research Academy and climate scientists from Greenpeace East Asia met in Beijing to discuss the impact of extreme rainfall in Gansu, climate change and what it means for China’s cultural heritage.
In its statement, Greenpeace warned that sites in Dunhuang and Zhangye in Gansu already show deterioration due to periods of heavy rainfall, humidity and rapid weather fluctuations, according to researchers.
“Gansu is famous for its caves and the art stored inside them for centuries,” said Li Zhao, a senior researcher in Greenpeace East Asia’s Beijing office. “Increased bouts of rainfall in the desert pose an acute risk. Spikes in humidity, flash floods, and cave ins are already happening.”
The report highlighted how total rainfall in Gansu province has increased overall while the number of days with rainfall has declined, meaning when it rains, it is more extreme. This follows global climate trends that show an increase in more extreme precipitation events worldwide, including an uptick in the number of heat waves and droughts across the world.
In Gansu province, rainfall between December 2021 to February 2022 was 76% higher than previous years and the most recorded since 1961, according to the provincial meteorological administration.
When the water vapor levels reach 60-65% humidity, the saturation can cause salt to crystallize on the painting’s surface, which causes flaking and detachment. Research shows some sites already exhibit “extensive flaking and detachment,” according to Greenpeace.
The report comes as China begins this year its fourth nationwide cultural heritage survey to log the state of the country’s historical artifacts.
“By the time this cultural heritage survey is finished, some artifacts could already be gone,” Li warned.
The report’s release also comes as US climate envoy John Kerry visits Beijing for climate talks with his Chinese counterpart, Xie Zhenhua, and other senior officials.
