South China province invests heavily to protect history on stones
( 2003-11-11 11:48) (Xinhua)
The Chinese Government has invested 11 million yuan (US$1.33 million) to
protect the Steles Forest in Guilin, a cultural site in south China's Guangxi
Zhuang Autonomous Region.
The first-phase of the project will cost 5.655 million yuan (US$680,000),
said Liu Lingshuang, head of the local stele museum.
The steles in Guilin City, which was included on the state key protection
list in 2001, is one of the two major stele collections in China, typically
reflecting the highest level of stone carving art of the Song Dynasty (960-1279)
and having great value for the study of Chinese traditional historical culture.
The first phase of the project is to prevent the inscriptions on the
stones from damage caused by long-time exposure to air by making "clothes" - showcases
for the stones or painting preservatives on the steles.
In addition, the museum workers have collected many stone carving articles
from the villages in outskirts of the city.
"We will continue to trace the lost 'national treasures' and put them back
into the collection," Liu said.
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