Is the current approach of "closing for the sake of protection" in mural conservation in China feasible? How can more effective conservation be achieved in open environments? How can different types of photography be scientifically differentiated and managed to balance conservation with public needs?
The eighth roundtable discussion of the "2025 International Academic Conference on Murals in Southern Shanxi" hosted by Hubei Academy of Fine Arts and Shanxi Provincial Cultural Relics Protection Foundation was recently held in Shanxi. Professor Li Song of Peking University pointed out the common dilemma in the current protection of cultural relics. Taking some murals as examples, he analyzed the drawbacks of the "simple and crude" closed protection and cited cases such as the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, emphasizing that the core of protection lies in scientific intervention rather than "one-size-fits-all" isolation.
Ming Dynasty murals in the Mahavira Hall of Fahai Temple, Beijing
Professor Li Song of Peking University pointed out on site that the "simple and crude" closed protection, such as installing airtight doors and restricting light, not only seriously affected the viewing experience of the audience, but also caused the original air microcirculation system of the cultural relics to become unbalanced in humidity inside the cave, which accelerated the fading and damage of the murals.
In response, Li Song systematically put forward several suggestions: 1. Technological Upgrading: Cultural relic protection must shift from "simple recording" to "dynamic intervention," urgently requiring the widespread adoption of temperature and humidity monitoring equipment in key halls and the establishment of effective response mechanisms. 2. Scientific Management: A scientific distinction should be made between flash photography and regular photography, abandoning the "one-size-fits-all" ban policy and meeting the public's recording needs through guidance and management. 3. Constructing a New "Preview + Digital Openness" Model: He strongly suggested utilizing 3D printing and digital technology to establish "preview halls" in museums, allowing visitors to learn about the content and background of murals in advance through high-precision replicas and multimedia interactive methods before viewing physical cultural relics, thereby improving the quality of the exhibition and alleviating the pressure on the physical relics. He emphasized that this model must be organically integrated into the overall exhibition flow and become an essential component. 4. Promoting the Openness of Digital Resources: Professor Li Song further called on institutions such as Dunhuang and the Palace Museum to open high-definition digital resources of cultural relics, supported by public tax revenue, to the public. He pointed out that providing official high-definition download channels is one of the fundamental ways to reduce the chaos of blindly taking photos from the source. The responsibility of cultural heritage sites is to "protect" rather than "possess" them, and they should face the public as "masters" with a service mentality.
Scene of the eighth roundtable discussion at the "2025 Jinan Mural International Academic Conference"
In response to Professor Li Song's open approach, Meng Sihui, a research fellow at the Palace Museum, offered her perspective as a professional researcher. She pointed out that "check-in" style photography easily leads to chaos in visitor order, and drastic fluctuations in temperature and humidity are the main culprit behind the severe fading of murals over the past two decades. She emphasized that the management unit faces immense practical pressure between "openness" and "control," and urgently needs to establish a more efficient and scientific mechanism for visitor guidance and crisis response. Scholarly research and casual visitor activities should be treated differently; we need to consider how to establish a mechanism that can both meet the large-scale visitor demands of cultural and tourism activities and, as far as possible, ensure the research needs of scholars.
Golden Water Moon Guanyin statue in Cave 2, Yulin
At the conference, Professor Zhang Jianyu of Renmin University of China offered two suggestions: "We can refer to overseas cultural heritage cases and establish museums to disperse visitor flow. Overseas, there is a model for building museums to protect ancient architecture and heritage that we can learn from." He suggested establishing specialized museums to systematically display cultural relics such as murals and Taoist scriptures, thereby avoiding the influence of natural light and presenting precious murals from southern Shanxi that have been lost overseas in a concentrated manner. At the same time, he also believed that high-definition replicas (such as the murals replicated by Professor Wang Yansong, which are considered "one level below the original" and can achieve a viewing experience of more than 90% of the original) could be used effectively, allowing enthusiasts to appreciate and take photos in better lighting conditions without damaging the mural heritage.
Scene of the eighth roundtable discussion at the "2025 Jinan Mural International Academic Conference"
It is reported that this conference, with "Mural Conservation and Resource Revitalization" as its core theme, was chaired by Feng Yan, Director of the Shanxi Provincial Institute for the Conservation of Ancient Architecture and Painted Sculpture Changes. The conference brought together scholars including Li Song, Boya Professor at Peking University; Meng Sihui, Research Fellow at the Palace Museum; Ge Sikang, Professor at City University of Macau; Zhang Jianyu, Professor at Renmin University of China; Geng Jipeng, Professor at Hubei Academy of Fine Arts; and Zuo Qizhi. Li Jianmin, former Chairman of the CPPCC of Jishan County, Yuncheng City, Shanxi Province; Xi Jiulong, former Director of the Shanxi Yongle Palace Mural Conservation Research Institute; and Duan Jianfeng, Director of the Culture and Tourism Bureau of Hongdong County, Shanxi Province, each gave keynote speeches.
The Pingyang Prefecture mural "The Court of the Emperor" which was lost to Canada
Li Jianmin, former chairman of the CPPCC of Jishan County, Yuncheng City, Shanxi Province, gave a special speech on the provenance of the Yuan Dynasty mural "Chaoyuan Tu" (The Court of the Immortals), a treasure from the Royal Ontario Museum in Canada. Through reviewing historical records and conducting field research in Xigeta Village, Fencheng Town, Xiangfen County, Shanxi Province, and interviewing villagers, he made a preliminary judgment: this national treasure-level mural, lost overseas, may have originated from the now-defunct Xiuzhen Temple in that area. This discovery provides a clue to tracing the original context of lost cultural relics. Xi Jiulong, former director of the Yongle Palace Mural Protection Research Institute in Ruicheng County, Shanxi Province, gave a special speech on the historical origins of the Yongle Palace murals and the current challenges facing mural protection. He believes that murals, like people, have a life of their own; it is unrealistic to expect them to never disappear. What we can do is to do our best to protect them, slowing their demise as much as possible, so that more people can see the authentic artistic treasures left by the ancients. Duan Jianfeng, who worked at Guangsheng Temple in Hongdong County, Shanxi Province for more than 30 years, also shared his thoughts on ancient architecture and the concerns surrounding its protection.