Mogao Grottoes gets trial security system

The Mogao Grottoes in Dunhuang, Gansu Province [File photo]

A comprehensive high-tech security system has been put into trial use at the Mogao Grottoes in Dunhuang, a county-level city in northwest China's Gansu Province, authorities confirmed on Monday.

The security system will upgrade the overall protection for the UNESCO World Heritage site, which has been carved into the side of about 1,600 meters of cliff, as well as monitor and maintain visitor order, said Ma Xueli, director with the security office of the Dunhuang Academy.

Initiated in July 2009, the new security system project features a multimedia monitoring system, which has functions including an intruder alarm and access control for the grottoes and the site's perimeter.

The 1,600-year-old Mogao Grottoes, or the Ancient Caves of 1,000 Buddhas, became China's first UNESCO World Heritage site in 1987. They feature more than 2,000 colored sculptures and 45,000 square meters of frescoes in over 730 caves spread across about 1,600 meters along a hill.

An alarm and alarm security system were installed in the grottoes in the late 1980s.

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