According to Hang, balancing openness with protection has become a core issue for Yungang.

"The Yungang Grottoes face significant pressure," he said. "Aside from climate change, the pressure from visitor numbers during peak seasons is too high."

He emphasized the need to scientifically regulate visitor flow while ensuring the safety of the artifacts.

"By adjusting the pace of visits based on seasonal differences and making the off-season draw more visitors, we have seen some changes," he said.

As one of China's four major grotto art treasures, the Yungang Grottoes stretch about one kilometer from east to west, with 254 caves and over 59,000 statues.

"The Yungang Grottoes are considered as the pinnacle of Chinese grotto art in the 5th century," he said. "They integrate architecture, sculpture, painting, and calligraphy, preserving a complete historical space and cultural context."

With the significant increase in foreign tourists, the Yungang Research Institute has also strengthened its international service capabilities.

"We have specifically recruited foreign language talent to cater to foreign visitors," he said.

"The institute has also developed online interactive projects to explain the origins of the carving art to people from different cultural backgrounds."

He also expressed his greatest hope that technology will continue to empower cultural heritage.

"I hope to use digital and intelligent methods to protect the grottoes, achieving a win-win situation for artifact safety and open utilization, and ensuring the eternal legacy of the millennia-old Yungang," he said.

Contact the writers at zhouhuiying@chinadaily.com.cn