Due to a lack of professionals, China needs at least 2,000 years
to restore about 20 million unearthed relics, sources said.
Currently, China has less than 500 people who are capable of
restoring relics, said Xu Taosheng, deputy curator of the pottery
and porcelain museum of Jingdezhen city in east China's Jiangxi
Province.
He said restoration of relics was arduous work, which required
great labor, material resources and time.
He said it took some 10 days to repair a one-millimeter crack or
a broken edge of a piece of pottery or porcelain, and one to two
months to repair a bigger crack.
If a person repairs one relic a month, it means China needs at
least 2,000 years to restore about 20 million unearthed relics, he
said.
Chinese experts have extended great efforts to train more people
in the skills of restoring relics over the years.
A group of 68 people selected from across the country have just
graduated from a training course on restoration of pottery and
porcelain, which was co-sponsored by the State Administration of
Cultural Heritage, Jiangxi Provincial Bureau of Cultural Heritage
and the cultural heritage bureau of Jingdezhen city Town.
Trainees studied the development process of China's ancient
pottery and porcelain industry, practical skills for restoring
ancient pottery and porcelain, and knowledge on raw materials.
Previously, China hosted training courses on restoration of
ancient bronze, calligraphy and paintings.
More training courses have been planned in the future, said Xu,
the deputy curator.
(Xinhua News Agency December 28, 2003)