Spirit of vitalization

"Both rainwater and groundwater, along with atmospheric condensation, are directly influenced by the climate, and can penetrate the fabric of heritage structures in various ways," Bai says. "This, combined with the effects of freeze-thaw cycles and microorganisms, accelerates the deterioration of their surfaces."

Among the structures threatened by climate change is the Qinglian Temple, which was seriously damaged during a deluge in October 2021. The average rainfall in Shanxi for October is 31.1 millimeters, but between 8 pm on Oct 2 to 8 am on Oct 7 that year, the province experienced an average of 119.5 mm of rain.

Jiao Kai, a staff member of the Jincheng Cultural Relics Protection Research Center, and who is stationed at the temple, still remembers torrents of water rushing down the mountains, rocks falling, roads being blocked, and the temple being flooded.

"The water rushed out of the gate like a river," he says, adding that there was even a small waterfall for two hours.

"I felt that if it continued to rain, the temple could collapse."