Covering over 1,600 years of history, the grottoes contain over 7,000 clay sculptures, of important artistic and academic value, said Hu Chengzu, head of the Maiji Grottoes Art Institute.

Government departments are now preparing to apply for both the world natural and cultural heritage lists.

The grottoes were built on cliffs some 80 meters above the ground, in AD 402. They were renovated over several dynasties stretching from the Northern Wei (AD 386-534) to the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911).

Craftsmen of each succeeding period added their own cultural and aesthetic flavor to the grottoes, thus creating a visual history of Chinese sculpture.

Located near Tianshui, a major city in eastern Gansu, the sight is listed as one of China's four most famous grottoes. The other three are the Mogao Grottoes in Gansu Province, the Yungang Grottoes in Shanxi Province, and the Longmen Grottoes in Henan Province.

In addition to clay sculptures, there are a total of 1,300 square meters of frescoes and more than 2,000 pieces of pottery, bronze, iron and jade articles, ancient books, documents, paintings, calligraphy and other cultural relics in the 194 grottoes.

"It is a miracle that all the sculptures and other relics are in such good condition after 1,600 years," said Hu, adding that the clay sculptures in the grottoes rank as one of the world's biggest finds.

The Tianshui government has already issued a long-term program to protect the relics in the grottoes and has begun to collect data on the geography, water, temperature and moisture in the environment surrounding the Maiji Mountain.

The local government will also clear all illegal construction around the grottoes and request that farmers return cultivated land to forestry in an effort to meet the standards of the world heritage application.

(Xinhua News Agency August 18, 2000)