LANZHOU, July 7 (Xinhua) -- The only road leading to the Mogao Grottoes, a renowned UNESCO World Heritage Site in northwest China's Gansu Province, was damaged by floods, local authorities said Sunday.
From 10 a.m. on Saturday to 9 a.m. on Sunday, heavy rain hit the city of Dunhuang, where the grottoes are located. The area around the Mogao Grottoes received around 40.4 mm of precipitation during the period.
Heavy rain triggered floods in the Daquan River which runs in front of the Mogao Grottoes. The shortest distance between the river and the heritage site is no more than 100 meters.
An initial investigation showed that the cultural relics of the Mogao Grottoes had not been affected by floods or rainstorms so far, said Luo Huaqing, deputy director of the Dunhuang Academy of China.
Mogao Grottoes is closed on Sunday, but will open to tourists after the floods recede and road traffic resumes, according to Luo.
