Carved in stone, open to the world: Longmen's living legacy

How do the Longmen Grottoes in China turn carved stone into a dialogue between civilizations? At the 2026 Global Mayors' Dialogue in Luoyang, in central China's Henan Province, the answer is clear: heritage should be discussed where it lives.

Over 400 years of carving, which began in 493 AD, have left 1.3 kilometers of grottoes, nearly 110,000 statues, 2,345 niches and 78 pagodas — a site which UNESCO calls "the pinnacle of Chinese stone carving." Some 1,500 years later, it still speaks to the world. Through digital monitoring, scientific restoration, water governance and global outreach, Longmen has built a comprehensive model for the protection of cultural and historical sites.

Global heritage belongs to all of humanity, and protecting it requires people from all countries to embrace new technologies so that these historical sites can develop sustainably. In this regard, the tourism industry also has a role to play in preservation efforts. CGTN reporter Zang Shijie spoke to mayors from Cambodia, Argentina and Italy at the site, where the conversation continues on the stone, by the river.