China, France to cooperate on Notre Dame restoration

People walk past the Notre Dame Cathedral under renovation in Paris, France, Dec. 8, 2023. (Xinhua/Gao Jing)

XI'AN, May 9 (Xinhua) -- The Emperor Qinshihuang's Mausoleum Site Museum in northwestern China announced on Wednesday that it will collaborate with its French counterpart on the restoration of Notre-Dame Cathedral in Paris and the protection of the Terracotta Warriors.

The collaborative research conducted with France's Fondation des Sciences du Patrimoine primarily focuses on the protection of wooden remains and earthen archaeological sites, according to the museum located in northwest China's Shaanxi Province.

Specifically, the research on protecting wooden remains will involve joint efforts to preserve and restore the fire-damaged wood from Notre-Dame Cathedral in Paris and the Mausoleum of Emperor Qinshihuang. Moreover, joint efforts will be made to conduct studies on their historical significance.

The research will also include wood species identification, preservation status assessment, degradation mechanisms and protection techniques and methods.

In the future, the two parties will explore the material properties and historical value of wooden remains and archaeological earth sites of the two UNESCO World Heritage sites together.

Meanwhile, this Sino-French cooperation also touches on developing practical conservation technologies and method systems for cultural relics and jointly cultivating young talents in the field of cultural heritage protection.