The recent floods in Shanxi touched people’s hearts. According to media reports, while people actively donated money and materials and cared for the affected people, the news that many ancient buildings in Shanxi were damaged in the past two days also worried the people.
From the damage of the retaining wall of the land temple in Dafu Street, Yangcheng, Jincheng, to the leakage of roofs in many buildings in Jinci; From the large-scale collapse of the forbidden wall in Yuncheng Yanchi to the collapse of part of the wall of Pingyao ancient city … In the face of the flood disaster, many netizens prayed for the people of Sanjin and worried about the safety of cultural relics. “Paying attention to Shanxi cultural relics in the rainstorm” has been on the hot search, and the media has also given intensive reports on the protection of ancient buildings in Shanxi. The whole society has shown great concern for cultural relics, which reflects the deep-rooted awareness of cultural relics protection and is also a clear reminder to relevant departments to do a good job in cultural relics protection and protect cultural relics resources for the public.
Cultural relics protection has the characteristics of high cost, slow effect and strong professionalism. It is not difficult to protect under normal circumstances, and it is even more difficult when encountering natural disasters. As local officials have said, many ancient buildings in Shanxi are mostly wooden frame structures. Because of their age, they have been affected by natural environmental erosion and human activities for thousands of years, and their ability to resist natural geological disasters such as floods is fragile. It is precisely because of this that strict inspection and monitoring, sensitive response mechanism and professional repair means become more and more important. Real-time monitoring, effective reinforcement, overall relocation, remote protection, collection of debris, timely rescue, etc., scientific judgment and positive actions by relevant departments, and responsibility and responsibility for defending the soil are the basic guarantees for minimizing disaster losses.
At present, the Shanxi cultural relics department is in full swing to carry out emergency rescue and repair work, and the relevant state departments are also studying and supporting the emergency rescue and protection and repair of cultural relics damaged by disasters in Shanxi. With a strong sense of responsibility and mission, it is the current emergency need to do a good job in the emergency rescue of cultural relics. In the long run, we should extend this strong sense of responsibility, mission and protection to the days before natural disasters come. The vulnerability of historical relics, including ancient wooden buildings, to disasters is not unpredictable. Since it can be predicted, we should take precautions in advance, implement daily protection to the letter, and make emergency plans according to the actual situation. We can’t wait for natural disasters to appear before we are caught off guard.
“The cultural relics on the ground look at Shanxi.” Shanxi is the province with the largest number of ancient buildings in China. According to statistics, there are more than 50,000 immovable cultural relics and more than 30,000 ancient buildings registered in the local area, and they are known as the “treasure house of ancient architecture in China” with complete time series, numerous categories and complete shapes. In a sense, people pay attention to the fate of cultural relics in the flood disaster in Shanxi, that is, they are paying attention to the fate of Chinese cultural relics all over the country. There are unexpected events in the sky, and natural disasters will occur again. How to learn from the recent rescue of cultural relics in Shanxi, Henan and other places, draw inferences from others, and study and formulate natural disasters for cultural relics?.Urgent management measures to ensure the safety of cultural relics; How to give preferential policies to the provinces and regions where cultural relics are concentrated, so as to ensure that the protection of cultural relics is “grain and grass are safe”; Whether the quality of cultural relics protection can be increased in the performance evaluation is a problem worthy of serious consideration at present.
“Culture witnesses China, and the heritage benefits future generations.” The protection of cultural relics will benefit the future. The concern of the public, the participation and support of social forces, the scientific and effective system and the positive actions of relevant departments will constitute the “Great Wall” for cultural relics to fight natural disasters. All localities attach great importance to the rescue and protection of cultural relics, and do a good job in emergency and foresight, so that the treasures left by our ancestors can be passed down from generation to generation.
(Author: Li Sihui, a distinguished researcher at the News Review Research Center of Huazhong University of Science and Technology)