Measures are being taken to protect China's cultural heritage from as many threatening factors as possible, including vibrations.

A standard to rate the threat industrial vibration poses to cultural and historic sites has been drawn up by Chinese scientists and is expected to be adopted as a national standard to protect vulnerable sites, Pan Fulan in charge of the research, said.

"The standard will be put into operation later this year, to contribute to the better protection of cultural and historical sites," said Gu Yucai, deputy director of the cultural heritage protection department of the State Administration of Cultural Heritage.

Industrial vibration has become a serious threat to cultural relics and historical sites around the world, said Pan, who heads research at China's major cultural sites.

"Compared with earthquakes, industrial vibration is much smaller, so its harm to cultural heritage has long been neglected," said Sun Fuxi, archaeologist and deputy director of Xi'an's Administration of Cultural Heritage.

"Our research in recent years shows that vibrations from trains, automobiles, mining and the operation of heavy machinery can cause catastrophic damage to historical sites," Pan said.

In the past four years, Pan and her research group monitored and surveyed dozens of sites.

They have now established vibration limits which can be withstood by different types of historical site.

Ancient wood and brick buildings and caves are all likely to be protected by the standard.

(China Daily November 14, 2005)