The Crail Harbour served as a place for fishing and trading for centuries (Crail Community Partnership, n.d.). Not only did this harbour contribute to the economical development of the region, but its picturesque view has also made it the most photographed harbour in Scotland (Crail Museum, n.d.). Nowadays, it is only used by a few small boats for crab and lobster commercial fishing, and it continues to remain a popular tourist attraction (Crail, Shoregate, Harbour | Canmore, n.d.). Preserving the Crail Harbour as an immovable heritage through digital methods would address Sustainable Development Goals (United Nations, 2015) such as - SDG 11.4: Cultural Heritage Preservation - SDG 4.7: Education and Awareness - SDG 8.9: Sustainable Tourism - SDG 16.7: Community Engagement
In 1978 the Cramond Heritage Trust was formed to encourage the preservation and improvement of features of natural and historical interest within the Association's area. The Trust has full charity status as an SCIO Since then it has provided information, advice and acted as a pressure group to ensure the retention and maintenance of the many and varied heritage sites in the area. The Trust is supported entirely by volunteers and relies on donations and sales of publications to sustain its work.
Sketch of part of Cramond, being what is situated on the East of Old Street leading down to the Sea. 1821.
The Creative Foundation is an arts charity, which has spent 15 years using creative activity to make Folkestone a better place to live, work, play, study and visit. By mobilising the incredible artistic resources already in the town and working hand in hand with the community, our partners and stakeholders, we have established 5 main projects: the Creative Quarter, Quarterhouse, Triennial, Book Festival and Folkestone Artworks, through which we are transforming the town and surrounding area.
Once upon a time, the Crescent Moon Spring was more like a lake where people could raft, situated by the Mingsha Mountain, next to the village. Since the 1960s, the water level of the Crescent Moon Spring has fallen dramatically, and by 1998 the spring was only 1.2 metres deep. In recent years, the geography in which the spring was formed has not improved and the spring has dried up.
Cultural Landscape and Archaeological Remains of the Bamiyan Valley
The Bamiyan Buddha in Afghanistan should have been a world-class cultural heritage, but in 2001, the Taliban destroyed the heritage for religious reasons, and now only the ruins of the heritage remain. In 2015, a team from China will use data technology to restore the Buddha statue with 3D projection, so that the Buddha statue will briefly reappear in its ruins, giving people a chance to admire and imagine this heritage.
Cultural Landscape of Honghe Hani Rice Terraces
The Honghe Hani Rice Terraces, located in Yunnan Province, China, are a spectacular landscape meticulously carved by the Hani people over more than 1300 years. These terraces sprawl across the slopes of the Ailao Mountains, covering an area of 17,000 hectares. In 2013, this unique agricultural cultural landscape was recognized as a UNESCO World Cultural Heritage Site, serving as a model of harmonious coexistence between humans and nature. The presence and sustainable development of the Terraces are of great significance for achieving the SDGs. They not only contribute to ecosystem and biodiversity conservation (SDG 15) but also directly relate to achieving zero hunger and food security (SDG 2) and ensuring sustainable management of water resources and sanitation facilities (SDG 6).
We create computer simulations so you can see the world as it might be seen by those with brain-based impairments of vision, called cerebral visual impairment or CVI. CVI-SIM is a collaboration between the Schools of Medicine and Computer Science. We support many student projects. Our project partner is the charity CVI Scotland. The programme has been created through listening to people with CVI and consulting with CVI experts. We know CVI is a very complex medical condition. Our simulations serve many purposes. Most important is to help with understanding, to improve support for people affected by CVI. CVI-SIM has also proved to be an effective platform for research, and through listening to people with CVI, we are learning more and more about the condition. Our simulations include visual perception difficulties that affect many children.
Daming Lake, located in Jinan, Shandong Province, is a renowned natural scenic area celebrated for its tranquil waters and rich cultural history. As one of the symbols of Jinan, Daming Lake is connected to the surrounding springs, forming a beautiful waterscape that exemplifies the harmonious coexistence of nature and the urban environment. The lake, adorned with lotus flowers that change with the seasons, has attracted countless poets and artists who have left behind many enduring works. With the aid of digital technology, Daming Lake is more than just a tourist attraction; it has become an educational platform demonstrating sustainable development. The green tourism practices and cultural education programs in the Daming Lake area align with SDG 4 (Quality Education) and 11 (Sustainable Cities and Communities), educating the public about the role of cultural heritage in promoting community sustainability. Daming Lake is not only a hallmark of Jinan but also a vivid example of the harmonious integration of culture and nature.
The waters of the Danube, which flow into the Black Sea, form the largest and best preserved of Europe's deltas. The Danube Delta hosts over 300 species of birds as well as 45 freshwater fish species in its numerous lakes and marshes. The 580,000 hectare delta is home to massive amounts of waterbirds of all kinds, most notably pelicans of two species, herons, storks, cormorants and terns. It is a favourite staging area for passage migrants and also wintering grounds for masses of migrating waterbirds from the steppes, the boreal forests and the tundras further north.
The waters of the Danube, which flow into the Black Sea, form the largest and best preserved of Europe's deltas. The Danube delta hosts over 300 species of birds as well as 45 freshwater fish species in its numerous lakes and marshes.The 580,000 hectare delta is home to massive amounts of waterbirds of all kinds, most notably pelicans of two species, herons, storks, cormorants and terns. It is a favourite staging area for passage migrants and also wintering grounds for masses of migrating waterbirds from the steppes, the boreal forests and the tundras further north.
The Calaveras Festival is one of the most important attractions in Aguascalientes. Year after year, in late October and early November, the city turns into a colorful celebration of the deceased. This colorful Festival arises with the aim of rescuing and preserving the traditions of the Day of the Dead and within its festive framework, it pays tribute to one of the plastic artists with worldwide recognition: José Guadalupe Posada, illustrious engraver and draftsman born in Aguascalientes. Posada is the creator of the "Calavera Garbancera" - which Diego Rivera would later name "La Catrina" -, a figure that adorns this festival and is a symbol of the festive tradition of death in Mexico.
Day of the Dead (Spanish: El Día de los Muertos)
It is an important festival in Mexico. This intangible cultural heritage is a time when people gather in cemeteries to pray for their loved ones and bring them the food and wine they once enjoyed. The event takes place every year from October 31 to November 2. The origins of this traditional holiday may be traced back to rituals performed by the ancient Aztec people, who honored the dead by placing skulls on Aztec temples more than a thousand years before the Day of the Dead. But it has evolved throughout history and is now a huge annual world festival. In addition to the food, the building of the altar was also an essential part of the festival, with Christian crosses, skulls made of clay, and other colorful artistic designs placed around the altar along with yellow cempasúchil flowers. It is believed that the scent of the flower will guide departing spirits to find their way home. Mexicans use this unique way of remembering and communicating with the dead, and as Pixar's 2017 film Coco suggests, people don't really die until their loved ones forget about them.
Dazu Rock Carvings is located in the Dazu District of Chongqing City. It was carved in the Tang, Five Dynasties and Song Dynasties, and continued to be carved in the Ming and Qing dynasties. It is now a world cultural heritage and one of the eight largest grottoes in the world. There are 23 Dazu Rock Carvings distributed in the southwest, northwest and northeast sectors of the county. 19 places such as Baoding Mountain and Beishan are more concentrated. Among them, the Baoding Mountain cliff sculpture is the largest and the most exquisite. In addition to statues of Buddha and Taoism, there are also statues of Confucianism, Buddhism, and Taoism in the same cave, with Buddhist statues accounting for the largest proportion. The Dazu Rock Carvings represent the highest level of world grotto art in the 9th to 13th centuries AD, and are the last monuments in the history of human grotto art. It shows the major developments and changes of Chinese grotto art style from different aspects in the Tang and Song dynasties, and has historical, artistic, and scientific values that are irreplaceable in earlier grottoes. It is famous for its grand scale, exquisite carvings, diverse subject matter, rich connotation, and well-preserved.
Dazu Rock carvings are one of eight famous Buddhist carvings in the world. They can date from the 9th to 13th centuries’ history, and are considered to be the best representatives of the latest phase of rock art in China. The collection of grottoes and carvings in Dazu contains more than 50.000 statues representing the highest level technology of grotto art during the Tang and Song Dynasties in China. This type of rock carving is also called Moya Carving, which refers to the technique of carving the statues directly into the cliffside. In 1999, Dazu Rock carvings was inscribed into the UNESCO World Heritage Collection. The rock carvings describe the images including Buddhism, Taoism and Confucianism, which shows the harmonious combination of different religions. The aim of creating the carvings is to advertise and show respect to religious figures and display ordinary life in China. Walking along and visiting these elaborate sculptures, people will feel not only worship to the religions, but also interactions among various social classes, as well as everyday stories about family and love.
Dazu Rock Carvings, located in Dazu District, Chongqing, is a series of Chinese religious sculptures and carvings, dating back as early as the 7th century AD, featuring Buddhist, Confucian, and Taoist beliefs. These carvings are known for their high artistic value, technical skill, and historical significance, and are recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Climate change could have an indirect impact on the Dazu Rock Carvings by altering local weather patterns, which could affect the physical and chemical processes that cause weathering and erosion of the sculptures. Increased temperature and humidity could accelerate the growth of algae, moss, and lichen on the rocks, which can cause chemical changes and physical disintegration of the rock surface. Extreme weather events, such as heavy rain and flooding, could also cause physical damage and erosion to the sculptures. In addition, changes in temperature and precipitation patterns could affect the local ecosystem and biodiversity, which could indirectly impact the cultural significance of the site. Therefore, it is important to monitor and understand how climate change may affect the physical and ecological conditions of the Dazu Rock Carvings site, in order to help mitigate potential impacts and ensure the preservation of this valuable cultural heritage.
The Dazu Rock Carvings represent an outstanding example of Buddhist art and architecture, showcasing the evolution of Chinese art over a period of over 700 years. The carvings are located in a series of 75 protected grottoes spread over 40 sites in the steep cliffs of the Dazu area, covering an area of approximately 1,000 square meters. They depict a wide range of Buddhist deities, figures, and scenes, as well as important historical figures, and everyday scenes of life in ancient China. These carvings, which originated in the 7th century, are famous for their remarkable artistic value, preservation of ancient Chinese art, and their historical significance in the propagation of Buddhism (Dazu Rock Carvings, 1999). The carvings showcase over 50,000 statues and 100,000 Chinese characters, presenting intricate depictions of Buddhist teachings, rebirth stories, and the life of Buddha (Denise Patry Leidy et al., 2010). These impressive features have earned the Dazu Rock Carvings a spot on the UNESCO World Heritage Site list since 1999.
Deans Court is a student hall of residence at the University of St Andrews originating from the 12th century, thus, arguably, the oldest dwelling house in the town of St Andrews, Scotland. It stands at the east-end of St Andrews, where North street and South street converge. The entrance of the courtyard opens up to the ancient, ruined, St Andrews cathedral. The Hall is open exclusively to postgraduates, and comprises the main building and four annexes, two on North Street, two on South Street
Deans Court is a student hall of residence at the University of St Andrews originating from the 12th century, thus, arguably, the oldest dwelling house in the town of St Andrews, Scotland. It stands at the east-end of St Andrews, where North street and South street converge. The entrance of the courtyard opens up to the ancient, ruined, St Andrews cathedral. The Hall is open exclusively to postgraduates, and comprises the main building and four annexes, two on North Street, two on South Street.
Department of Antiquities, Ministry of Tourism and Culture Malawi
The Derzhprom or Gosprom building is an office building located on Freedom Square in Kharkiv, Ukraine. Built in the Constructivist style, it was the first modern skyscraper building in the Soviet Union upon its completion in 1928. Its name is an abbreviation of two words that, taken together, mean State Industry.
Roman site map for App launch event in 2015.
A vitual environment endeavored to present the archaeological documentation of the largest collection of information, media, and research materials ever assembled about the Pyramids and related sites on Egypt’s Giza Plateau.
The Giza Project is a non-profit international initiative based at Harvard University. Through digital archaeology, we assemble, curate, and present archaeological records about one of the most famous archaeological sites in the world, the Giza Pyramids and surrounding cemeteries and settlements. The Project manages arguably the world’s largest digital archive of Giza material. We use this data to build immersive 3D model reconstructions and other media as we develop powerful new teaching technologies and research tools.
archaeology, we assemble, curate, and present archaeological records about one of the most famous archaeological sites in the world, the Giza Pyramids and surrounding cemeteries and settlements. The Project manages arguably the world’s largest digital archive of Giza material. We use this data to build immersive 3D model reconstructions and other media as we develop powerful new teaching technologies and research tools.
Discovery Point Dundee (Dundee Heritage Trust)
he proud guardian of two of Scotland’s best-loved museums: Discovery Point and Verdant Works. Together, we spark curiosity in heritage, science, and discovery. Our museums have inspired of millions of people around the globe since the Royal Research Ship Discovery returned to Dundee. Built in our city, she belongs to the world. An anchor for generations of scientists. A beacon for explorers, young and old. A compass for the curious.
Ditan, also known as Fangze altar, is the second largest of the five altars in the ancient capital of Beijing. It was built in the ninth year of Jiajing (1530 A.D.) in the Ming Dynasty. It is located on the east side of Andingmen gate, corresponding to the temple of heaven, and across the river from Yonghe palace, Confucius Temple and Guozijian. Ditan is a solemn, simple and elegant royal temple. It is the place where the emperors of Ming and Qing Dynasties worship the God "huangdizhi". It is also the largest existing altar in China. With a total area of 37.4 hectares, the altar is square in shape. The whole building is simple, dignified and unique. From the whole to the part, it is designed in accordance with the traditions and symbolic legends of ancient China, such as "round sky and place", "green sky and yellow earth", "south and north sky", "dragon and phoenix" and "heaven and earth". There are many ancient buildings in Ditan, such as fangzetan, huangzhishi, Zaishu Pavilion, zhaigong, shenku and so on.
isfiveoneonezero,worldheritagelayer,ditan park
The nature and value of ‘Sheep Dolly’ heritage In China, the middle school education curriculum includes Dolly, the world’s first cloned sheep, in its textbooks. This means that all Chinese students learn about Dolly, admire the Roslin Institute in Edinburgh, and recognize Scotland’s leadership in scientific research. At the time, Dolly sent shockwaves through the scientific community and became a monumental milestone in history (Oliveira, 2012). Both the cloning technology and Dolly’s preserved specimen have become an integral part of Scotland’s scientific heritage. As long as it exists, it will continue to contribute to scientific discourse and public knowledge for generations to come.
Dongting Lake, known as Yunmeng, Jiujiang and Chonghu in ancient times, is located on the south bank of Jingjiang in the middle reaches of the Yangtze River. The name of Dongting Lake began in the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period. It was named after Dongting Mountain (now Jun Mountain) in the lake. Dongting Lake was once known as "Eight Baili Dongting" in ancient times. In the late 1990s, according to calculations by the water conservancy department, it had an area of ​​2579.2 square kilometers (2740 square kilometers), which is generally called China’s second largest freshwater lake; if the four waters of Hunan, Zi, Yuan, and Li and the "four mouths of the Yangtze River" are added The floodway area of ​​more than 1,300 square kilometers (1,18,780 square kilometers), the two together, is 3879.2 square kilometers (or 4040 square kilometers). The perimeter of the lake basin is 803.2 kilometers, with a total volume of 22 billion cubic meters, of which the volume of natural lakes is 17.8 billion cubic meters and the volume of river channels is 4.2 billion cubic meters. Dongting Lake is an important storage lake in the Yangtze River Basin, with a strong flood storage capacity. It has made countless floods in the Yangtze River ridden, and the Jianghan Plain and the three towns of Wuhan have been able to survive the floods safely. Dongting Lake is an important strategic place in history and the birthplace of Chinese traditional culture. There are many scenic spots in the lake area. The historical sites represented by Yueyang Tower are important tourism and cultural resources. It is also the birthplace of traditional Chinese agriculture, a well-known land of fish and rice, and the most important commodity grain and oil base, aquatic product and breeding base in Hunan Province and even the whole country.
This reconstruction was part of the STRATUS Project 2021. Our view is that connecting with emergent digital technologies and changing digital literacies is key to re-energising our towns, villages and communities. Stratus will use disruptive VR technologies to enable exploration of the Past, Present and Future, maximising societal benefits from natural and cultural heritage. - https://stratus.interreg-npa.eu/ Just a few miles north of Ballycastle, on the edge of the earth overlooking the wild Atlantic, lies the rugged, windswept outcrop of Downpatrick Head. Now a Signature Discovery Point on the famed Wild Atlantic Way, the area provides unparalleled views of the ocean, including a unique vantage point over the Stags of Broadhaven. A majestic sea stack rises tower-like from the sea, with its centuries of layered rock providing shelter to thousands of nesting sea birds.
Buildings that were “made out of the ground upon which they stood” were once the most common vernacular structures in parts of Scotland. For more information, visit: http://www.taylp.org/historicbuildings/clay-buildings-of-the-carse/ Music: The Lass o' Gowrie, by Lady Carolina Nairne (1766-1845). contemplator.com/scotland/gowrie.html
Drone footage of Bennchie taken in 2017.
Kharkiv (Kharkov) is a city in northeast Ukraine. Sprawling Freedom Square is home to the constructivist Derzhprom building. Shevchenko Park features botanic gardens and a zoo. Kharkiv State Academic Opera and Ballet Theatre stages regular performances. Southwest is the huge Annunciation Cathedral, with 5 domes and a bell tower. Northeast, Maxim Gorky Central Park has a giant Ferris wheel and a cable car.
The fort of Fatehpur Sikri where Akbar lived for almost 16 years with his wife Jodha. This drone view provides a spectacular view of the entire fort plus its individual bodies. You will see Diwan-e-khas, Diwan-e-aam, Jodha Palace, Birbal Palace and many more places
The Dunhuang Mogao Grottoes, also known as the Thousand Buddha Grottoes, are a renowned complex of Buddhist cave temples located along the ancient Silk Road. Carved into the cliffs of Mingsha Mountain, the grottoes contain exquisite murals, sculptures, and manuscripts spanning over a millennium of Buddhist art and history. These artistic treasures offer invaluable insights into the cultural exchanges between East and West during ancient times, making the Mogao Grottoes a testament to human creativity and spirituality.
The Dujiangyan is an ancient irrigation system in Dujiangyan City China. Originally constructed around 256 BC by the State of Qin as an irrigation and flood control project, it is still in use today
Dujiangyan is a famous ancient water conservancy project, located on the Minjiang River in the west of Chengdu Plain, Sichuan Province, west of today's Dujiangyan City. It is located where the Minjiang River flows from the mountains into the Chengdu Plain. Before Dujiangyan was built, the Minjiang River often flooded. In 256 B.C., Li Bing, the prefect of Shu County in the State of Qin, and his son, absorbed the experience of previous generations in water control, and led the local people to build water conservancy projects. After the completion of Dujiangyan, the Chengdu Plain became a "Land of Abundance". This project is still functioning today and is known as the "Living Water Conservancy Museum". As an ancient irrigation system, Dujiangyan is facing challenges due to rapid urbanization, socio-economic development, climate change and human activities. These challenges include over-diversion, disruption of hydrological pulses, imbalances in erosion and sedimentation, and conflicts between power generation and water supply.
The Dujiangyan is an ancient irrigation system in Dujiangyan City, Sichuan, China. Originally constructed around 256 BC by the State of Qin as an irrigation and flood control project, it is still in use today. The system's infrastructure develops on the Min River (Minjiang), the longest tributary of the Yangtze. The area is in the west part of the Chengdu Plain, between the Sichuan Basin and the Tibetan Plateau. Originally, the Min would rush down from the Min Mountains and slow down abruptly after reaching the Chengdu Plain, filling the watercourse with silt, thus making the nearby areas extremely prone to floods. King Zhao of Qin commissioned the project, and the construction of the Dujiangyan harnessed the river using a new method of channeling and dividing the water rather than simply damming it. The water management scheme is still in use today to irrigate over 5,300 km2 (2,000 sq mi) of land in the region. The Dujiangyan, the Zhengguo Canal in Shaanxi and the Lingqu Canal in Guangxi are collectively known as the "three great hydraulic engineering projects of the Qin."
Culture,Immovable Culture Heritage,Tourism
This is a picture of the Dujiangyan Water Conservancy Project.
Dujiangyan is a large water conservancy project built in ancient China and used to this day, located in Sichuan Province, 340 km upstream of the Minjiang River, west of the city of Dujiangyan. The Dujiangyan is said to have been built by Li Bing and his sons, the Sheriff of Shu County in the Qin Dynasty during the Warring States period, from about 256 to 251 years ago. It has been renovated by successive generations and has served a great purpose for over 2,000 years. There are many monuments around the Dujiangyan, including the Erwang Temple, Fulongguan, Anlan Bridge, Yubi Pass, Fengqiwo and Doushitai. The entire Dujiangyan pivot can be divided into two major systems: the head of the weir and the irrigation water network. The head of the weir includes the three main projects of the fish mouth (water diversion project), the flying sand weir (flooding and sand drainage project) and the treasure bottle mouth (water diversion project). The Dujiangyan project is mainly a water diversion and irrigation project but also has a comprehensive function of flood control and sand drainage, water transportation and urban water supply. The Chengdu Plain, which was irrigated by the Dujiangyan project, was known as the 'Land of Heaven' in China.
Considered to be the old capital of Strathclyde, this was a strong Dark Ages fort, later changed to a Medieval castle which had its fortifications modernised in 1600-1700. Climate Impacts: Coastal erosion, fluvial flooding, coastal flooding, groundwater flooding, slope instability
Dun an Sticir is an example of how in mediaeval times the original Iron Age 'brochs', hollow walled windowless fortifications often built on islands and reached by a tricky causeway, were later adapted for more domestic purposes. The building of brochs for defensive purposes seems to date from 500 BC. Over the previous thousand years cooler climactic changes had encouraged layers of peat to gradually move downhill, overgrazing had taken its toll, and land for cultivation had become scarcer, forcing people to migrate to the lower ground. Duns comprised a single outer rounded wall, forming a tall tower often rising to 40 feet, mirrored internally by a second curving wall enclosing an inner chamber. This was a relatively straightforward fortification to build in order to protect your land. Erskine Beveridge also found evidence at Dun an Sticir of a gallery six feet above ground level. Remains of two huts where livestock could have been protected could also be seen. The rectangular stone structure built within the walls using the stone available, with its door and window, dates from the mediaeval period. A second island, Eilean na Mi-Chomhairle (the Island of Bad Council), is linked to Dun an Sticir (the Dun of the Skulker) by a causeway. Both Gaelic names suggest a darker and less peaceful era.
The site of Dun an Sticir on North Uist forms a reminder of how different societies adapted and reused structures over time. About 2000 years ago a broch was built on a man-made island in Loch an Sticir. Brochs were relatively tall circular buildings which were used as dwellings and defensive structures by the inhabitants of Northern and Western Scotland during the Iron Age. Dun an Sticir appears to have continued to be inhabited during the Viking period. In the High Middle Ages the (by then very ancient) broch was converted into a small hall or tower house. The Open Virtual Worlds team and Smart History worked with Taigh Chearsabhagh Museum and Arts Centre to create a reconstruction of how Dun an Sticir may have appeared during the Iron Age.
First built in 1371, a 3-storey high tower house remains. This site is at high risk of deterioration. Climate Impact: Groundwater flooding, slope instability, fluvial flooding
The Dunhuang murals are located in Gansu, China, with a history of more than two thousand years. These murals exist in 552 grottoes in Dunhuang, totaling more than 50,000 square meters. The Dunhuang murals are huge in scale and exquisitely crafted. Their content mainly depicts scenes of production and labor, scenes of social life, architectural modeling, music, dance and other images of various ethnic groups in ancient times. Inspired by real life or religious stories, these murals reflect people's desire and sustenance for a better life. The drawing inspiration comes from real life or religious stories, and they all reflect people's desire and sustenance for a better life, and they are an important art treasure house. Dunhuang frescoes have high research value in history, humanities, arts and crafts.
The Mogao Caves in Dunhuang are a world-renowned holy site of Buddhist art, located under the Mingsha Mountain in the southeast of Dunhuang City, Gansu Province, China. As one of China's four great grottoes, Mogao Grottoes are renowned for their exquisite murals and sculptures, and are a treasure of ancient Chinese Buddhist culture. However, this thousand-year-old cultural heritage is facing unprecedented threats from climate change. Rising temperatures and frequent extreme weather events due to climate change have had both direct and indirect impacts on the Mogao Grottoes. Rising temperatures accelerate the weathering process of the murals, putting these precious works of art at risk of fading and flaking. At the same time, extreme weather events such as heavy rains and sandstorms also pose a threat to the structural safety of the Mogao Caves. Heavy rains may cause the humidity inside the caves to rise, further affecting the state of preservation of the murals. On the other hand, sand and dust storms may erode the external structures of the caves, causing physical damage to the sculptures and murals. In addition, climate change may exacerbate regional water stress, affecting the groundwater system on which the Mogao Grottoes depend, and in turn affecting the stability of humidity and temperature inside the caves, which would be extremely detrimental to the long-term conservation of the murals and sculptures.
The Dunhuang Mogao Caves are a unique repository of Buddhist art that stretches over a millennium, featuring 492 grottoes carved into a cliff face. The site holds exquisite murals, sculptures, and manuscripts that document the rich history of cultural exchanges along the Silk Road. Digital interpretation of this heritage can support SDG 4 (Quality Education) by making these ancient treasures accessible through immersive virtual tours and interactive exhibits. Through high-resolution 3D scanning, the delicate details of the art are preserved, while real-time environmental monitoring ensures proactive conservation.