Veteran fresco restorer Li Yunhe's grandson Li Xiaoyang works on fresco restoration. |
On April 18, International Day for Monuments and Sites (established by International Council on Monuments and Sites and approved by UNESCO in 1983), Li Xiaoyang came to Quyang county in Hebei province to attend an award ceremony honoring the fresco restoration project in a temple that dates to the Yuan Dynasty (1271-1368).
Led by his grandfather, Li Xiaoyang was a team member to do the project. It is on the country's most recent "10 best cultural relic restorations" list, which was released on that day.
Li Yunhe is commonly considered by many to be the top fresco restorer from Dunhuang who is still active. He was absent in the ceremony because he's committed to another project.
The project in Quyang, starting from August 2012, is the first major restoration Li Xiaoyang participated in. He followed his grandfather and his uncle, who is the middle-generation fresco restorer in the family.
Li Xiaoyang left home to study in high school in Australia, and later graduated with interior design major from the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology.
After graduation, he returned to China, originally planning to prolong his visa. However, when his parents asked whether he wanted to apply for a job at Dunhuang Academy, he agreed to stay.