Heroes of the past

Editor's note: The 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China set out a blueprint for China's path to modernization, with the aim of guiding the development of all walks of life in the new era and contributing positively to global progress. Through the year, China Daily will run a series of picture stories that highlight important waypoints on this journey. In this third installment, we focus on the conservators and restorers who combine traditional craftsmanship with cutting-edge technology to ensure the longevity of the nation's cultural treasures.

With a long history and rich cultural splendors, ancient China provided the world with an uninterrupted linage of civilizations lasting for millennia that are still inspiring.

Thanks to cultural relics, the key events influenced the destiny of a dynasty, or breathtaking moments capturing people's daily happiness or, indeed, sullenness, seem to come to life in front of our very eyes.

Nonetheless, when we pay admire and in some cases are astounded by the relics, we can hardly neglect the fact that time has taken its toll on them, be it porcelain shards, fading murals or weedy roofs on ancient temples.

Fortunately, time also witnessed the dedication and diligence of those who painstakingly keep the past alive and relevant. Their devotion is often counted in generations. Behind the shining museum exhibits, these are the people who wipe the dust of ages from the artifacts, and bring a second life or existence to items that are silent observers of history.