Applying color to the murals. Photo: IC

On Silk Road Street in Xi'an, Shaanxi Province, lies a hidden art scene where a section of the Mogao Grottoes of Dunhuang is being replicated.

Chinese painter Yang Miaodong, who has dedicated her life to restoring ancient traditional murals, has almost completed her project of replicating two grottoes from Dunhuang, Gansu Province.

The Mogao Grottoes, first built in 366 BC, are a UNESCO-listed cultural heritage, comprised of nearly 500 caves with numerous Buddhist paintings on the walls and more than 2,000 Buddhist sculptures.

Yang is rebuilding grottoes No.45 and No.220 in their original size, in order to give more people a chance to see the marvelous ancient murals without having to go to the site in Dunhuang, which has been ravaged by time and devastated by looting at the hands of Chinese and foreign adventurers in the early 20th century.

Yang is recreating some of the murals that were already seriously damaged in Dunhuang according to their original appearance.

She first outlines the sketches, scans them, then puts the sketches together on the computer before printing them out and applying them onto the wall. This is followed by the meticulous work of drawing and applying color to the paintings.

With the help of her husband Jin Weidong, who provides logistical help, Yang experimented on various pigments and paints in order to achieve the best color and most enduring effect.

The project is expected to be finished prior to the Spring Festival and open to visitors free of charge.

Global Times

An Indian visitor appreciates Buddhist paintings that have already been finished in the replica of Dunhuang Grottoes. Photo: IC

 

Jin Weidong grinds colorful minerals to be made into pigments. Photo: IC

 

Yang Dongmiao paints the sketched murals with color. Photo: IC

 

Four professionals from Shaanxi Conservation College assist Yang with her work. Photo: IC

 

Yang sketches with the help of a magnifying glass. Photos: IC