China seeks conservation of grotto temples in Pakistan

Beijing [China], December 28 : China's National Cultural Heritage Administration has said that closer links will be forged between the Chinese grotto temples and their overseas counterparts along the ancient Silk Road.
Earlier this year, the national administration signed cooperation agreements with its counterparts in Pakistan, Afghanistan and Iran to improve cross-border exchanges on the conservation of grotto temples, The Express Tribune reported.
"This would improve people-to-people connectivity," Director of China National Administration Li Qun projected while addressing a conference, the publication citing China Daily reported.
According to The Express Tribune, a total of 635 grotto temples have been newly found across China in the first nationwide investigation on the status of these ancient sites.
The study which was launched in September 2020 shows that there are 5,986 grotto temple sites in the country, the media outlet said.
In the list, 288 sites have been registered as national-level key heritage sites, and 417 were under provincial-level protection. Grotto temples, which are religious sites carved into mountains or rock, were introduced to China along the ancient Silk Road in the 3rd century, and gradually became a key form of Chinese Buddhist art in the following millennium, it added.
In October 2020, China's State Council released the country's first national-level guidance for the protection of grotto temples, as per The Express Tribune.