On January 13, with the consent of the Sichuan Provincial People’s Government, the General Office of the Provincial Government issued the Implementation Plan for Strengthening the Protection and Utilization of Cave Temples in Sichuan Province (hereinafter referred to as the Implementation Plan). The Implementation Plan clearly states that a new pattern of protection and research on cave temples in Sichuan will be basically built by 2023, a long-term mechanism for the protection and utilization of cave temples will be basically formed by 2025, major progress will be made in the construction of Sichuan-Chongqing Cave Temple National Heritage Park, and by 2035, the protection and utilization of cave temples in southern China will be basically completed.
On January 13, with the consent of the Sichuan Provincial People’s Government, the General Office of the Provincial Government issued the Implementation Plan for Strengthening the Protection and Utilization of Cave Temples in Sichuan Province (hereinafter referred to as the Implementation Plan). The Implementation Plan clearly states that a new pattern of protection and research on cave temples in Sichuan will be basically built by 2023, a long-term mechanism for the protection and utilization of cave temples will be basically formed by 2025, major progress will be made in the construction of Sichuan-Chongqing Cave Temple National Heritage Park, and by 2035, the protection and utilization of cave temples in southern China will be basically completed.
The Implementation Plan clarifies the key work for the protection of cave temples. It is proposed to strengthen archaeological research on cave temples in Sichuan, and orderly carry out regional systematic investigations, special investigations and archaeological excavations of important cave temple sites; Implement the “Grottoes Sichuan” protection project, and coordinate the implementation of rescue protection and preventive protection, ontology protection and peripheral protection, single point protection and cluster protection; Promote the “Ping An Grottoes” project, combine the “Skynet System” and “Xueliang Project”, build a comprehensive control platform for the safety protection of Sichuan Grotto Temples, and carry out a special action to combat cultural relics crimes in the province focusing on the crime of theft and theft of cultural relics in cave temples.
The Implementation Plan emphasizes the effective use of cave temples to bring cultural relics to life. It is proposed to accelerate the construction of the Sichuan-Chongqing Grotto Temple National Heritage Park, continue to polish the “golden business card” of Leshan Buddha, and implement the overall protection and utilization project of Anyue Grottoes; Implement the project of displaying and improving the quality of cave temples, and encourage cave temples with conditions to build heritage museums; Promote the protection and utilization of small and medium-sized cave temples, and build Sichuan rural cave cultural parks, cultural attractions and cultural micro-landscapes; Strengthen the integration of regional cave temple resources and centralized continuous protection and utilization, and create a number of high-quality tourism projects and tourism routes with cave temples as the carrier; Plan a number of high-quality projects for the outreach of cave temple cultural relics that reflect the characteristics of Sichuan, and shape the cultural communication brand of Sichuan cave temple.
The Implementation Plan proposes a series of targeted and innovative measures. It is proposed to build an archaeological research system of Sichuan cave temples and form a multidisciplinary and cross-field cooperative research model. Give play to the role of scientific and technological support and leadership, incorporate the scientific and technological protection of cave temples into the key support direction of provincial natural science and science and technology plans, and create innovative platforms such as key scientific research bases for the protection of stone cultural relics in southern China; Explore the management model of “taking the big with the small” and “one institution with the piece”, and promote the special institutions for the protection and management of cave temples to carry out technical guidance for small and medium-sized cave temples that do not have special institutions in the surrounding areas; Encourage the adoption of integrated design and construction methods, and small and medium-sized cave temple protection projects can choose professional protection institutions as project management units.
The Implementation Plan strengthens the important support for the protection and utilization of cave temples. It is proposed to further strengthen the Sichuan Cave Temple Protection Research Institute and create a national first-class cave temple research institute; Deepen the construction model of the “general branch system”, and strengthen the work force of regional cave temple protection research institutions in Leshan, Guangyuan, Bazhong, Anyue and other regions; Cave temple conservation research institutions may set up chief experts and academic deans as needed, and their salaries shall be separately approved and not included in the performance salary base; Increase funding to support eligible cave temple cultural relics protection and utilization projects to apply for new local government bond needs in accordance with prescribed procedures.
The issuance of the Implementation Plan fully reflects the great importance attached by the Sichuan Provincial Party Committee and the provincial government to the work of cultural relics, and clarifies the road map and task book for the protection and utilization of cave temples in the current and future period, which is of great significance for embarking on a road of protection and utilization of cave temples with Sichuan characteristics.
(Sichuan)