Global volunteers rebuild ancient Shanxi

Cultural treasure trove

Shanxi province was chosen as the site for the relics repair workshop because of its rich resources in cultural heritage.

With a recorded history of more than 5,000 years, Shanxi is one of the cradles of Chinese civilization.

The province is a treasure trove of ancient Chinese architecture. It has 531 nationally protected sites for cultural relics — mostly ancient buildings — ranking it top in the country. The Yungang Grottoes in Datong, Pingyao Ancient City in Jinzhong, and Mount Wutai in Xinzhou have been inscribed on UNESCO's list of World Cultural Heritage Sites. It is said that Shanxi is home to more than 70 percent of China's well-preserved buildings built before the Song (960-1279) and Jin (1115-1234) dynasties.

In addition, there are a total of 28,027 old buildings scattered throughout the province. Compared with the nationally or provincially protected sites, how to protect these lesser-known ancient buildings is a pressing challenge because of the lack of attention and funding, according to organizers of the workshop.

Shanxi International Communication Center, a leading institution in Shanxi for cultural communication and exchange, recently addressed this concern.