“Little Red Flower Dream · Thousand Faces Protection Plan” Charity Event Successfully Held in Anyue
On April 27, 2023, the large-scale public welfare assistance event “Little Red Flower Dream · Thousand Faces Protection Plan” was successfully held in Anyue County. The event was planned by the Beijing Center of the International Centre on Space Technologies for Natural and Cultural Heritage under the Auspices of UNESCO (WHITRAP-BEIJING), jointly guided by the Sichuan Provincial Cultural Heritage Administration and WHITRAP-BEIJING, and co-organized by the Sichuan Traditional Cultural Heritage Protection Association, Tencent Foundation, and the Anyue Grottoes Research Institute.
The event received strong support from the Anyue County Party Committee and County Government, aiming to gather public welfare forces from all sectors to jointly focus on the protection and development of the Anyue Grottoes.
Mou Jinde, Deputy Director of the Cultural Heritage Protection Division of the Sichuan Provincial Cultural Heritage Administration; Zhang Jianwei, Executive Deputy Director and Research Fellow of WHITRAP-BEIJING; Professor Lei Yuhua, Dean of the School of Tourism and Historical Culture at Southwest Minzu University; Ma Yao, Project Director of Tencent Foundation; Wei Shuya, Project Manager of Tencent Foundation; Guo Ya, Member of the Standing Committee of the Anyue County Party Committee and Head of Publicity; Xie Yang, Director of the Anyue Grottoes Research Institute; Li Xiangyu, Visual Director of Sichuan Daily All-Media; He Ting, Vice President of the Sichuan Traditional Cultural Heritage Protection Association; and Wang Mengxue, Secretary-General of the association attended the event.
The event invited 100 grotto guardians from various cultural heritage protection sites of the Anyue Grottoes, who each received a donated “support package” from Tencent Foundation. The Anyue Grottoes Research Institute also selected 10 outstanding grotto guardians and held an award ceremony on-site. Professor Lei Yuhua delivered a public lecture focused on grotto temple protection and development. Zhang Jianshuo, Chief Engineer of Weiming Cultural Heritage Technology, explained the design concept and usage of the “Cultural Heritage E-Inspection” mini-program donated to the Anyue Grottoes Research Institute.
WHITRAP-BEIJING Executive Deputy Director Zhang Jianwei introduced the origin and implementation philosophy of the project in his speech, stating:
“President Xi Jinping places great importance on the protection and utilization of grotto temples. Chinese grotto temples embody China’s historical and cultural values and reflect the spiritual aspirations of the Chinese nation. They present a comprehensive and authentic picture of both ancient and modern China, while also serving as important evidence of cultural exchange and mutual learning among civilizations. WHITRAP-BEIJING pays close attention to the development of communities around heritage sites and appreciates the attention given to cultural heritage protectors by the sponsors and organizers of this event.”
Tencent Foundation Project Director Ma Yao said in his speech:
“The Anyue Grottoes are magnificent, but also fragile. They require human guardianship to preserve their thousand-year-old appearance.”
In the following public lecture, Professor Lei Yuhua discussed the deep value and significance behind grotto temple protection work and sincerely thanked the grotto guardians for their contributions. The Sichuan Traditional Cultural Heritage Protection Association also stated that it will continue supporting and researching the “Little Red Flower Dream · Thousand Faces Protection Plan.”
▲ Guardians of the Anyue Grottoes receiving support packages
▲ Guardians of the Anyue Grottoes receiving support packages
▲ Event venue
▲ Event venue
▲ Award ceremony for outstanding grotto guardians
▲ Grotto guardian wearing the support-package jacket
▲ Speech by Guo Ya, Head of Publicity of the Anyue County Party Committee
▲ Speech by Zhang Jianwei, Executive Deputy Director of WHITRAP-BEIJING
▲ Lecture by Dean Lei Yuhua of Southwest Minzu University
▲ Group photo of all participants
Event Background
The Anyue Grottoes have a history of more than 1,400 years. The name “Anyue” means “peacefully situated upon the mountains.” It is the county with the highest concentration of ancient Chinese Buddhist stone carvings currently known in China. There are currently more than 230 cliffside carving sites, over 100,000 Buddhist statues, 10 nationally protected major cultural heritage sites, and 30 provincial-level cultural heritage protection units.
Anyue Grottoes stone carvings
The “Little Red Flower Dream · Thousand Faces Protection Plan” was supported by 608,605 caring internet users who collectively donated 4 million “Little Red Flowers,” helping provide 1,000 support packages nationwide.
Initiated by Tencent Foundation through the Tencent Charity Platform, the project tells the stories of grotto guardians and showcases the current state of grotto temple protection. Through the “Little Red Flower” initiative, public donations are used to provide outdoor equipment, insurance, training, and other support for frontline cultural heritage protectors who work year-round safeguarding these sites.
These grotto guardians quietly dedicate themselves to protecting grotto temples. Some families have guarded the grottoes for three generations. Over the years, their stories have gradually become known to the public as national attention toward grotto temple preservation has increased.
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