Cultural relic conservator spends over a decade on grottoes protection

(ECNS) -- As a cultural relic conservator, Liu Guohu has spent over a decade protecting the grottoes of Jinta Temple, a part of the Matisi Temple grotto group in Qilian Mountain of Zhangye City, Gansu Province.

The grottoes, including a large number of conserved statues and murals, is only open to researchers and maintenance staff.

For more than 10 years, Liu has been guarding the grottoes alone. He can go home to see his family only once a month, but he still feels contented.

Liu has read a lot of literature and learnt from researchers who came here for study so that he can tell all the stories behind the statues and murals.

The man has not only ensured the safety of the grottoes but also diagnosed the rock mass of the grottoes in his own way. His son, who is obsessed with the stories of the temple, wants to be a conservator like his father.