Master restorer of ancient Buddhist cave artworks sees calling as cross-generational responsibility

Li Bo (right), a veteran restorer of the   leads a colleague, Li Lingzhi, in examining murals in one of the Yulin Caves at Guazhou county near Dunhuang, Gansu province. (JIANG DONG / CHINA DAILY)

It is a race against time, as generations of cultural heritage conservators at the Dunhuang Academy endeavor to protect the artistic charm of the Mogao Caves, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, despite erosion by sand and wind.

Restorer Li Bo is a member of the team that is dedicated to protecting the 45,000 square meters of murals and more than 2,400 painted sculptures of the 735 caves of the site, the construction of which spans a millennium, from the 4th century to the 14th century.

Located in the far west of Northwest China’s Gansu province, the city of Dunhuang and its neighboring areas — home to the Mogao Caves and other historical monuments that witnessed the apex of the ancient, prosperous Silk Road — contain relics testifying to communication among civilizations across Eurasia.

While characters on the ancient murals refer to Buddha’s search for the truth of life and the universe — a frequent theme of the murals — restorer Li’s pilgrimage to enlightenment is reflected in every moment of him sitting in front of the wall and reviving the revelations in the murals with meticulous hand movements, bit by bit, from dawn to dusk, day after day.

The Mogao Caves in Dunhuang are a popular tourist site. (WANG KAIHAO / CHINA DAILY)

A sophisticated mural restorer like Li, who has spent more than 30 years in the business, can only restore an area about the size of a sheet of paper each day.

The past three decades have seen him repair around 1,500 square meters of murals and more than 300 sculptures — the small ones are only about 20 centimeters tall, while the largest reach more than 20 meters in height.

The years have brought him the joy of holding a silent dialogue with the mural characters every working day.

In front of a 10th-century mural featuring a mass audience listening to the Buddha at the Yulin Caves in Guazhou county, around two hours drive from the Mogao Caves, Li mimicked the facial expressions of the characters when introducing his routine work.

The site, which, archaeologists estimate, dates back to the Northern Wei Dynasty (386-534), shares cultural and artistic consistency with the Mogao Caves. The Dunhuang Academy also oversees the Yulin Caves.

Restoration tools displayed at a gallery of the academy. (WANG KAIHAO / CHINA DAILY)

Performing his tasks, Li has always been astonished at the ability of the ancient painters to precisely portray the mental state of the characters and to present dynamic scenes with static images. 

“It’s a satisfying undertaking rather than a job that I’m obliged to get done. It fills me with joy to think that I have contributed to their survival and inheritance,” Li said.

In March, Li won first prize among mural and painted sculpture restorers at a national vocational skills competition related to cultural relics, which was held in Shanxi province. Nonetheless, there is always the motivation to further improve his skills, he said.

Commonly seen “diseases” affecting the murals include cracking and flaking, as well as efflorescing that is caused by changes in temperature and humidity of the caves.

Restoring a mural requires being an all-rounder. The restorer should know painting, master the skills of a mason and have some knowledge of chemistry and physics, be able to recognize the problems, their corresponding causes and deliver a solution. They must also select proper materials and tools, and conduct experiments, before formally carrying out the restoration and evaluating the effect afterward.

Li Bo at the Mogao Caves. (JIANG DONG / CHINA DAILY)

The restoration should respect the original work and aim to maintain the status quo of the murals rather than repainting them, Li said.

Even at the height of summer, when temperatures outside soar to nearly 40 C, the 58-year-old and his colleagues have to wear quilted coats and pants in the caves to keep warm. Arthritis is a hazard for some.

They also need to keep their hands raised for hours, exerting strength, but not shaking when their muscles tire, a challenge that can be very energy-consuming, his colleague Li Lingzhi, 36, said.

However, for Li Bo, it is often not until he steps out of the caves after several immersive hours that he starts to feel exhausted.

Li Lingzhi said that Li Bo shares all he knows without reserve.

He said that he is always impressed by the awe displayed by the older generations toward the cultural heritage, and the more comprehensive point of view they have of the tasks.

Li Bo has strong support behind him, including his father Li Yunhe, the academy’s first full-time cultural heritage restorer, who has been dedicated to the cause since 1956.

A restorer from the Dunhuang Academy works on murals of Cave 55 of Mogao, dating back to the 10th century. (WANG KAIHAO / CHINA DAILY)

Li Yunhe once removed a mural, completely intact, from a corridor in Cave 220 of Mogao Caves, to expose an older mural hidden underneath. Li Bo grew up watching his father restore the murals and painted sculptures, taking in all he saw and heard. In 1983, he joined the academy and was involved in the archaeological mapping of the caves before formally taking up the preservation and restoration of these cultural relics in 1990. Apart from restoring murals and painted sculptures at Gansu’s cave temples, the father and son also attended preservation projects in Qinghai, Shanxi, and Zhejiang provinces, as well as Tibet and Xinjiang Uygur autonomous regions, among others.

Thanks to the rich experience garnered by the Dunhuang Academy in the past decades, conservators there have supported preservation projects of earthen heritage sites and murals in 20 provincial-level administrative regions across China. They have also contributed solutions to similar sites in countries like Kyrgyzstan and Myanmar, according to Guo Qinglin, deputy director of the academy.

In his teenage years, Li Bo often wondered why it seemed his predecessors never took days off despite adverse working and living conditions. He later realized they were driven by a sense of urgency.

Last year, his 91-year-old father fell and broke his left arm and damaged his lumbar vertebrae. The master kept up with his work remotely and could not wait to get back onsite after three months of home confinement.

In a photo on display at the academy, taken in the early 2000s, Li Bo (right) is seen working with his father Li Yunhe, the academy’s first full-time cultural heritage restorer, who has been dedicated to the cause since 1956. (WANG KAIHAO / CHINA DAILY)

Li Bo’s career has witnessed and benefited from the academy’s evolution, making progress in both research and implementation of preservation measures.

Interdisciplinary achievements, such as updated research findings in materials science, and new digitalization technology, have greatly facilitated their work.

According to Guo, more than 150 conservators and restorers from the academy now work on the front line, minding the caves.

“Many of them may not be well-educated, but they excel after decades of practice in the field, and their experience is priceless,” Guo said. “As master artisans of our nation, they deserve people’s utmost admiration.”

“Cave conservation is about continuously solving problems,” Guo said. “But the more work we do, the more problems we’ll encounter.

The Mogao Caves have existed for more than a thousand years. No matter how much effort their guards and restorers have spent, everyone understands a simple fact: They can only slow down the aging of caves, but they cannot stop it.

“For example, climate change is a major factor influencing the murals in the caves,” said Su Bomin, director of the Dunhuang Academy. “It needs a long-term research to better preserve the caves, over a much wider time span that goes beyond our lifetimes.”

“Cultural relics are witnesses of history,” Su explained. “More importantly, our work can promote the great Dunhuang spirit of inclusiveness to the world and inspire modern people.”

Today, Li Bo still guides new generations of restorers who shuttle among the caves. 

“I’m not willing to retire,” Li Bo said. “If I get too old to continue one day, I still want to teach more students ... New generations will surpass us, not only in the matter of traditional techniques but also — when new knowledge and technologies emerge — they will present a wider view and more comprehensive ability.”

“The process is like a sponge,” he said. “By constantly absorbing different knowledge, there will be plenty of it available when it is required.”

Wang Jiahui in Dunhuang contributed to this story.

Contact the writers at fangaiqing@chinadaily.com.cn