Xu's laboratory is currently restoring silks discovered in an ancient tomb. "Every detail of the restoration work requires careful planning because the desert has made the fabric extremely fragile and it could easily break into pieces just at a touch, so we always take great care of these priceless artifacts," he said.
Keeping watch over a beacon of history.
When Reheman Amut worked in 1993, he never imagined that he would still be at his post 21 years later. The 42-year-old from Kuqa county in the Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region has spent half his life as a guardian of the Kizilgaha Beacon tower.
His work has become an all-consuming passion, and a symbol of the difficulty of safeguarding ancient monuments in Xinjiang's desolate desert regions.
The beacon, which has been standing on this stretch of the ancient trade route known as the Silk Road for 2,000 years, is the oldest and best preserved of a series of towers upon which fires were lighted to alert defenders to the approach of enemy troops and imminent attack. From its rectangular base, measuring 6 meters by 4, the tower tapers slightly to a height of 13 meters.
"At the beginning, it was barren here. There were no roads, trees or houses", Reheman said, recalling his arrival as a temporary guardian on a monthly salary of just 220 yuan ($35).
The beacon sits on the banks of an ancient river course in the Gobi desert, and when Rehemen first arrived in the area, food and water were in scarce supply so he had to make regular trips to the nearest village to collect water. "Before, we used donkeys, but now I have a (motorized) tricycle and can transport enough supplies in one trip to last at least a week," he said, adding that he once tried to dig a well, aided by his brother and father, but they abandoned the attempt after digging a 33-meter-deep hole without finding a drop of water.
During the early days he found the loneliness harder to bear than the lack of water or food. "I sat by the beacon and spoke to it sometimes when I felt lonely, but I seldom do that now because I have my wife and daughter here", he said with a smile.
In 2007, his life improved after a road was built and trees were planted. More importantly, his wife was able to share his quarters in the site's small ticket office at weekends.
"I know how much he loves it here, and I support him. I wouldn't have married him otherwise," said Shadaitigul Yasen, Reheman's 40-year-old wife, who like her husband works for the local cultural relics bureau.
Reheman's greatest concerns are the beacon and the nearby Kizilgaha Caves. He keeps a close eye on visitors to prevent damage to the ancient structures, and when there are no visitors, he patrols the area four or five times a day, a practice that has become a habit.
"The height of the beacon has been reduced by about 20 centimeters over the years, and the fallen earth has made a mound at the base," he said, "We must protect the beacon as best we can, otherwise it will disappear someday."
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