The International Forum on Cave Temple Conservation, hosted by the National Cultural Heritage Administration and the Chongqing Municipal People’s Government, was held from Aug 19 to 21 of 2023 in Dazu District, Chongqing. Over 100 experts and scholars in the field of cultural heritage conservation from China, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Iran, Nepal, Norway, the United Kingdom and other countries offered their insights into cave temple conservation in the context of climate change and opportunities and challenges of cave temple conservation under climate change, key scientific challenges and technical progress in tech-powered cave temple conservation, archaeology and multi-value excavation of cave temples, monitoring and risk management in cave temples. They also presented classic case studies, brainstormed to form a theoretical framework, and discussed technological strategies, and anticipated future possibilities.

On March 3rd of 2022, Fudan University, the Academy of Dazu Rock Carvings and the Nara National Research Institute for Cultural Properties signed the Cooperative Agreement on Dazu Rock Carvings Protection, through which the three parties established a comprehensive long-term collaborative relationship and planned to carry out joint research focusing on the Protection of the Fengshansi Rock Carvings. The three parties will conduct extensive cooperation in fields like environmental monitoring, field survey and indoor lab test concerning preservation status evaluation, weathering mechanism research, conservation and restoration materials research, preparation of laboratory, specialized personnel training and exchange, and international academic conferences, etc.

From December 1 to 6 in 2019, the 2019’ International Symposium on Dazu Studies and the 20th Anniversary Celebration of the Dazu Rock Carvings Inscribed on the World Heritage List was held at Dazu of Chongqing Municipality of China. Over 100 experts and scholars from home and abroad participated in the conference and offered their insights into topics such as Dazu Studies in the Context of Sichuan-Chongqing Grottoes, Cave Temple Research from Perspective of the Belt and Road, Social History and Religious Development of Sichuan-Chongqing Area in Song Dynasty, Theory and Method of Studies on Cave Temple Conservation, and Promotion of Cultural Heritage in the Context of the New Era. Also, they shared their research experience in stone cultural heritage conservation and restoration technology and presented their latest research findings.

In March of 2017, the Academy of Dazu Rock Carvings and the Venetian Cluster signed the Technical Collaboration Agreement on Sino-Italian Cooperative Conservation on Shuchengyan Rock Carvings at Dazu. This project is research on conservation and restoration for painted and gilded stone cultural heritages under humid environment jointly carried out by the Academy of Dazu Rock Carvings of China and the Venetian Cluster of Italy. The two sides have done the survey of the preservation status, the study on the disease mechanism, the conservation and restoration test and the restoration.