By Yuling Chen, iChongqing News

Chongqing - Conservation, and maintenance of the reclining Buddha and Xiaofowan cliff statue in Baodingshan of Dazu Rock Carvings commenced on June 29, 2019. According to the Dazu Rock Carvings Research Institute, the project is estimated to take eight years.

The conservators are performing ultrasonic testing on the statue in Dazu Rock Carvings scenic area in Southwest China’s Chongqing Municipality, June 29, 2019. (Photo by Huang Shu)

Baodingshan reclining Buddha, 31 meters long, is the world's largest stone-carved half-body reclining Buddha statue with outstanding historical, artistic, scientific and religious values. The stone carvings have degenerated for a variety of reasons due to thousands of years of being exposed to the open air environment, natural labor, and human factors. The conservation and maintenance adhere to the principle of maintaining the status quo and minimal intervention and maintaining the original historical features of the Baodingshan reclining Buddha and the Xiaofowan cliff statue.

Why repair

Baodingshan reclining Buddha and Xiaofowan cliff statue are essential parts of the world's cultural heritage Dazu Rock Carvings. Influenced by thousands of years of natural and human factors, water damage and bio-erosion, the painted decoration on the surface of the stone carving has appeared to be uplifted, hollowed, and peeled off. According to previous survey statistics, there are more than 50 severe deteriorations in the reclining Buddha.

Influenced by thousands of years of natural and human factors, water damage and bio-erosion, the painted decoration on the surface of the stone carving has appeared to be uplifted, hollowed, and peeled off.

How to restore
Based on the preliminary investigation and repeated argumentation, the main contents of the restoration project are the fine mapping, the evaluation, and research of disease investigation, the special treatment of various diseases, the protection of stone carvings, and the necessary environmental improvement and technical monitoring.

As of now, the project has completed the preliminary survey and research after three ' years' work. On this basis, the overall technology plan for the first phase of the body conservation and restoration has been completed and reported to the National Cultural Heritage Administration for approval.

The main contents of the restoration project are the fine mapping, the evaluation, and research of disease investigation, the special treatment of various diseases, the protection of stone carvings.

"First of all, because the water seepage is the direct or indirect source of several other diseases in the reclining Buddha statue area, it is necessary to deal with it first," said Jiang Siwei, deputy dean of the Dazu Rock Carvings Research Institute.

Moreover, the specific difficulties of the project are common technical problems for the conservation of the grottoes in Chongqing and Sichuan where have a humid environment. Complications include weathering reinforcement, damage repair materials, soluble salt treatment, and painting (including gold) protection and repair technology. The effective management of degeneration in humid environments is still a global problem.

"The stone carving repair project is a research-oriented implementation process," Jiang said. The project has been divided into stages, and long-term protection research and restoration work plans were formulated.