Yinchuan: Under the scorching sun, Xu Xiaolong and his colleagues trudged through wild grass in the Gobi Desert, scanning the rocky foothills of Helan Mountain in Yinchuan, northwest China's Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, in search of ancient carvings. Upon finding a pattern on a rock, the team immediately photographed and recorded its location.
According to Namibia Press Agency, Xu, 36, who works with the city's Helan Mountain rock art administration, explained that the field survey not only assesses the preservation status of previously discovered rock carvings but also helps identify and document new ones. This work lays the groundwork for subsequent digital archiving and protection efforts. Helan Mountain, stretching 250 km, is home to over 20,000 ancient rock carvings created by early inhabitants with stones, metal tools, or mineral pigments. Dating back approximately 10,000 to 3,000 years, the carvings depict subjects ranging from natural images like human faces, animals, and handprints, to ancient life scenes such as herding, hunting, and rituals.
Launched in 2020 as a follow-up to the 2000-2003 census, the administration has surveyed over 12 square km in and around the Helan Mountain rock art ruins park. The fieldwork is set to continue through the end of 2025. Among the carvings, one features two handprints -- one large and the other small. Zhang Jianguo, deputy director of the administration, suggests that the handprints likely signify 'me' and 'you,' carved onto the rock to seal an agreement. This reflects the enduring cultural continuity of affixing a handprint to documents such as deeds and contracts, a traditional practice in China.
Within the park, the deepest carving reaches 1.5 cm, surviving millennia of weathering. An experiment by the administration found that even three people carving throughout an entire day left only faint marks, indicating that prehistoric people likely spent multiple generations completing a single work. Zhang hypothesizes that tribal leaders or shamans designed the patterns, with others carving and deepening the grooves over centuries as an expression of faith. Guided tours, cultural events, and creative products have boosted public engagement, with the park drawing 900,000 visitors in 2024.
Despite their historic significance, the rock carvings face preservation challenges similar to any other outdoor ancient rock art worldwide. Weathering has faded or erased many images, while freeze-thaw cycles caused by rainwater have led to cracking and peeling. China's State Council designated the site as a major national cultural heritage unit under protection in 1996, followed by the establishment of the administration in 2002. In 2003, the city-level Helan Mountain rock art protection regulation became China's first dedicated legislation for the preservation of rock art.
Zhang, who has witnessed and been involved throughout the entire conservation journey, recalled that concrete efforts included extensive field surveys, the construction of flood-prevention dams and protective fencing, as well as the development of protection plans to balance tourism with preservation. In cooperation with other institutions, the administration reinforced 20 rock faces with carvings and cracks, injecting organic materials into fissures to prevent surface peeling from 2012 to 2017. A nanomaterial coating is sprayed onto surfaces for water- and sun-proofing protection, and monitors collect humidity, temperature, and wind data to guide future protection work.
"While the rock art may eventually fade, advancing technology allows us to employ all possible means to extend its legacy for as long as we can," Zhang said.