The Bingling Temple Grottoes, a significant cultural relic site in China’s Gansu Province, experienced a precarious situation following a 6.2-magnitude earthquake that struck Jishishan county in the Linxia Hui Autonomous Prefecture. This seismic event, occurring near the temple’s location, led to several stones being dislodged and falling to the ground, as reported on the temple’s official WeChat account.
Fortunately, there have been no reported casualties at the grottoes. However, the Cultural and Tourism Bureau of Linxia confirmed that the earthquake posed a safety hazard to the Bingling Temple site. Witnesses observed stones rolling down at the site, raising concerns about potential damage to the grottoes’ sculptures, though it remains unclear whether these stones were part of the sculptures.
Xu Yitao, a Beijing-based archaeologist specializing in ancient architecture, expressed concerns over the potential damage. He noted that if the dislodged stones were indeed parts of the statues, they likely originated from the main body of these sculptures, indicating significant harm.
Diao Changyu, vice president of the Institute of Cultural Heritage at Zhejiang University and an expert in cave relic protection, highlighted that further investigation is needed to assess whether the cultural relics inside the grottoes were damaged. Given that some stones were found outside the cave, there’s a possibility of extensive damage.
Dating back 1,600 years, the Bingling Temple boasts 216 grottoes, over 800 Buddhist statues, and 56 pagodas. Following the earthquake, the temple has been closed to the public, and the reopening date remains uncertain.
In the wake of the incident at Bingling Temple, attention turned to the Mogao Grottoes in Dunhuang, a UNESCO World Heritage Site located about a 13-hour drive away. Customer service staff at the Mogao Caves reassured that no damage occurred due to the earthquake, and the site remains open for public reservations. The Mogao Caves have implemented a model to predict earthquake-vulnerable areas, allowing for timely protective measures.
Diao Changyu also mentioned that many museums have installed smart anti-seismic equipment to protect cultural relics during earthquakes. Xu Yitao echoed the sentiment that the Mogao Caves are unlikely to suffer damage from this particular earthquake.
However, the Jishishan Museum, situated at the earthquake’s epicenter, did not escape unscathed. Museum staff reported that they are currently assessing the condition of their collection, which includes 1,740 cultural relics such as jade, pottery, and ancient coins.
This recent earthquake in Gansu Province serves as a stark reminder of the vulnerability of cultural heritage sites to natural disasters. It highlights the importance of ongoing efforts in earthquake preparedness and the implementation of advanced protective measures to safeguard invaluable cultural and historical treasures.
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