Heroes of the past

These of course are cultural-relic conservators and restorers. Just like medical practitioners who vow to spare no effort for public health, they check the "illness" and made the tailored prescription. They combine traditional craftsmanship with new cutting-edge technology just to make sure the relics linger longer.

Their "patients" are often iconic superstars, including the grand palace of the Forbidden City in Beijing, murals of Mogao Grottoes in Gansu province, the magnificent underground legion of the Terracotta Warriors from the Qin Dynasty (221-206 BC) in Shaanxi province or the Great Wall that spans thousands of years.

For generation after generation, deft hands and keen eyes may age, but their hearts remain robust and enthusiasm is never dulled but ever present.

According to the National Cultural Heritage Administration, more than 108 million cultural relics are housed in China's public institutions, and 767,000 so-called "unmovable "monuments, ancient architecture, structures and heritage sites are registered nationwide. More than 160,000 people work on cultural relic-related positions across the country.

Wang Kaihao, Zou Hong, Sun Ruisheng and Geng Feifei reported