3-D shows the way of heritage

Buddha statues are displayed at a Beijing show via 3-D and virtual reality technologies. [Photo provided to China Daily]

After more than two years of renovation works, the Tianlongshan Caves in North China's Shanxi province reopened to the public earlier this month, displaying its Buddhist sculptures and art.

The renovation project of 10 million yuan ($1.5 million) is expected to help the more than 1,400-year-old caves avoid threats from falling rocks and erosion.

The caves contain some of the finest Buddhist artworks in China. But parts of many sculptures are missing and either in private collections or art institutions abroad, according to the Center for the Art of East Asia at Chicago University.

With the help of 3-D technology, the missing heads of a few Buddha statues from the caves have been reunited with their bodies digitally. The Tianlongshan Caves management worked with the Chicago University for four years on the digital reconstruction of the damaged sculptures housed in 25 caves in Shanxi.

The missing heads have been stolen and sold in the international art market since the 1920s, according to officials from the Tianlongshan Caves management.

An ongoing show at Beijing's OCAT Institute displays the cooperation and shows the caves and completed Buddha statues via 3-D and virtual reality.