20,000 Rock Paintings
By admin on 2015-01-12

Experts in Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region recently announced that they have located more than 20,000 prehistoric rock paintings during a six-month survey in the mountains near Zhongwei in central Ningxia.

"The amount is nearly twice as many as what was estimated to be there," said Shi Yuqing, chief of Zhongwei's cultural heritage administration.

His agency conducted the first-ever scientific survey that began last fall, using GPS systems to ensure precision.

The rock paintings are located in a 450-square-kilometer area in Beishan Mountains in Zhongwei, one of five areas in Ningxia where rock paintings have been found. The oldest date back to the Paleolithic Age.

Experts say the survey is the first step toward better protection of the ancient artworks. About 80 percent of China's rock paintings have been damaged by erosion and human activities.