|
Conference on the Conservation of Grotto Sites
Conservation of Ancient Sites on the Silk Road: An International
Conference on the Conservation of Grotto Sites is planned for October
3-8, 1993 in Dunhuang, The People's Republic of China. The conference
is co-sponsored by the Getty Conservation Institute, the Dunhuang
Academy, and the Chinese National Institute of Cultural Property.
The purpose of the conference is to provide a forum for the exchange
of ideas on the conservation and management of grotto sites, with
particular emphasis on the Buddhist sites along the Silk Road. Since
the conference's announcement last year, a wide variety of professionals
from around the world have indicated an interest in attending and
in presenting papers. This diversity in participation will help
satisfy one of the conference's principal aims: to encourage international
dialogue between specialists in all aspects of cultural preservation.
The conference will include visits to the Mogao Grottoes, a World
Heritage Site located outside Dunhuang. Since 1989, the GCI, the
State Bureau of Cultural Relics of The People's Republic of China,
and the Dunhuang Academy have been collaborating on the conservation
of the Mogao Grottoes, which include statuary and paintings dating
back to the 4th century.
A post-conference tour visiting Silk Road sites between Dunhuang
and Uromqi, Xinjiang province, is also planned. The dry climate
of the region has preserved many cultural monuments that now require
the attention of the conservation community if they are to survive
modern development.
|
