In one of China's seven rock art treasures, Yinshan Rock Painting Concentration Zone in Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, a set of advanced solar electronic video monitoring system has been built and used. The "electronic eye" with an investment of 2 million yuan has a monitoring range of 3 square kilometers and can monitor more than 3,000 rock paintings.
“This monitoring system can protect rock art from vandalism. In case of emergency, the system can prompt the protection staff on duty at the first time and deal with the situation in a timely manner.†One of Yinshan Rock Painting Area, Baogou, Geerze County, Qikou County, Inner Mongolia A staff member said.
The Yinshan rock paintings are mainly distributed in the Yinshan Mountains and the prairie foothills, which are 40 km to 100 km north-south and 350 km east-west in Bayannaoer, Inner Mongolia. Their creation dates back more than 10,000 years. As early as the 5th century AD, the rock paintings carved on the Yinshan Mountains were discovered by the Northern Wei Geologist, Ran Daoyuan, and they were described in detail in the famous Shuijingzhu. So far, Inner Mongolia has discovered 153 groups of Yinshan rock paintings, 19 more densely distributed areas, and more than 50,000 rock paintings, ranking the first in China.
For a long period of time in the past, because of natural and man-made reasons, Yinshan Rock Paintings has not been properly protected and utilized, resulting in greater damage and destruction. According to preliminary estimates, nearly 5,000 were damaged. Because of the wide distribution of Yinshan rock paintings and the inaccessibility of the distribution area, it has also increased the difficulty of protection of Yinshan rock paintings.
Since 2007, Inner Mongolia has invested more than 12 million yuan, launched a large-scale rescue survey and protection project for Yinshan Rock Paintings, organized experts in cultural relics, archaeology, natural ecology, and environmental monitoring, and adopted high-tech methods such as photography, video, and satellite positioning. A comprehensive survey of the number, distribution, subject matter, and scope of Yinshan rock paintings was conducted.
“This monitoring system can protect rock art from vandalism. In case of emergency, the system can prompt the protection staff on duty at the first time and deal with the situation in a timely manner.†One of Yinshan Rock Painting Area, Baogou, Geerze County, Qikou County, Inner Mongolia A staff member said.
The Yinshan rock paintings are mainly distributed in the Yinshan Mountains and the prairie foothills, which are 40 km to 100 km north-south and 350 km east-west in Bayannaoer, Inner Mongolia. Their creation dates back more than 10,000 years. As early as the 5th century AD, the rock paintings carved on the Yinshan Mountains were discovered by the Northern Wei Geologist, Ran Daoyuan, and they were described in detail in the famous Shuijingzhu. So far, Inner Mongolia has discovered 153 groups of Yinshan rock paintings, 19 more densely distributed areas, and more than 50,000 rock paintings, ranking the first in China.
For a long period of time in the past, because of natural and man-made reasons, Yinshan Rock Paintings has not been properly protected and utilized, resulting in greater damage and destruction. According to preliminary estimates, nearly 5,000 were damaged. Because of the wide distribution of Yinshan rock paintings and the inaccessibility of the distribution area, it has also increased the difficulty of protection of Yinshan rock paintings.
Since 2007, Inner Mongolia has invested more than 12 million yuan, launched a large-scale rescue survey and protection project for Yinshan Rock Paintings, organized experts in cultural relics, archaeology, natural ecology, and environmental monitoring, and adopted high-tech methods such as photography, video, and satellite positioning. A comprehensive survey of the number, distribution, subject matter, and scope of Yinshan rock paintings was conducted.