China's relic-rich Shaanxi hosts over 1,000 grotto temples

XI'AN — Northwest China's Shaanxi province now hosts a total of 1,012 grotto temples, according to the provincial cultural relics bureau.

Distributed widely across the province, the 1,012 grotto temples were assessed through an investigation that kicked off last October, following a nationwide survey of the protection status of grotto temples.

Local cultural relics authorities dispatched five research teams to thoroughly investigate and register the information of grotto temples and conduct initial damage analysis.

Data in 2020 showed that China has a total of 5,198 grotto temples. Among them, 142 are under national-level protection and 345 are under provincial-level protection.

Including the Mogao Grottoes, Yungang Grottoes and Longmen Grottoes, 10 of the historical relics are inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List.