38 years of passion: cultural relics 'doctor' gives new life to China's Maijishan Grottoes

Mu Changyou, a 57-year-old cultural relics restorer, has been working at the　Maijishan Grottoes　Art Institute for 38 years.

He has restored 23 grottoes, frescoes of over 100 square meters, and more than 10 Buddha sculptures so far. His passion for the conservation and restoration of cultural relics has begun since his childhood, Mu said. 　

While modern technology plays an important role in restoring cultural relics, traditional methods are still essential for the protection and restoration work, according to the deputy director of the Maijishan Grottoes　Art Institute. 　

Located in Tianshui of northwest China's Gansu Province, Maijishan Grottoes　are a 1,600-year-old UNESCO World Heritage site consisting of 194 caves suspended 30-80 meters high above the ground.　

Restorers have been working on the conservation of the caves, sculptures and frescoes, which had suffered from deterioration due to disasters and natural weathering over the past 1,000 years. 　

Maijishan Grottoes　are one of China's four largest Buddhist cave complexes, along with Mogao, Yungang and Longmen grottoes in Gansu, Shanxi and Henan provinces respectively.