Fan Jinshi, Director, Dunhuang Research Academy
Wang Xudong, Deputy Director, Dunhuang Research Academy
Rich in Buddhist murals and painted statues of exquisite craftsmanship, the Mogao Grottoes of Dunhuang have become a mecca for artists, scholars and tourists. Its fame has been it's downfall, though, and now the grotto caverns and their famous works of ancient art are under siege. In March 2003, the president of the Dunhuang Academy, Fan Jinshi, and 24 members of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) submitted a proposal for the preservation of the grottoes, a plan that included the use of digital technology and the promise of a virtual tour of the grottoes, in a bid to keep visitors from destroying the caverns with their sheer numbers.