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LANZHOU, July 12 (Xinhua) — An asteroid was named after Chinese archaeologist Fan Jinshi on Monday in recognition of her contribution to the protection, study, and promotion of the Mogao Grottoes, a UNESCO World Heritage Site in Dunhuang in northwest China's Gansu Province.

In the late 1980s, the "Digital Dunhuang" project was put forward by Fan in the hope of using digital technology to permanently store the cultural heritage of the grottoes in high fidelity.

Over the past 30 years, with the help of ever-advancing digital technology, the project has achieved that and also facilitated more people's virtual access to the treasures without the need to open and access the actual caves.

The digitization project condensed the efforts of several generations of staff, who had overcome technical obstacles to improve efficiency and accuracy with new technology and smarter tools.

By the end of 2022, the Dunhuang Academy had finished compiling digital data collection for 289 caves, image processing for 178, and the 3D reconstruction of 140 caves and seven ruins while delivering a panoramic tour program for 162 caves.

In 2022, the academy's various online platforms recorded about 400 million visits from 120 countries and regions.

(Source: Xinhua)