【 Expert Review 】 Author: Wang Xuebin (Professor at the Cultural and Historical Research Department of the Central Party School [National School of Administration]) China's grotto temples are widely distributed, large-scale, complete in system, and profound in connotation, which can be said to have a rich "family background". According to relevant survey statistics, there are a total of 2155 grotto temples and 3831 cliff statues in China, totaling 5986 sites, accounting for nearly half of the total number of such sites in the world. Such a vast cultural heritage is an important carrier for the exchange and mutual learning of world civilizations, a three-dimensional "textbook" that highlights the diverse and integrated pattern of the Chinese nation and the sense of community of the Chinese nation, and a unique "database" that showcases the cultural subjectivity of the Chinese nation. The cultural relics of grotto temples include various types such as grotto architecture, cliff sculptures, niches, murals, and paintings. In recent years, the top-level design of protection and utilization work has been continuously optimized, and the protection system thinking has gradually been established. Significant achievements have been made in many aspects such as archaeological research and protection technology concepts. The Dunhuang Academy has established the world's first "multi field coupled environment simulation laboratory", which can reproduce the erosion process of cultural relics caused by wind, rain, freezing, and thawing, overcome the research difficulties of soil degradation, and build a "Digital Dunhuang" resource library platform; Yungang Research Institute has achieved full digital preservation of 80% of the caves and built the "Digital Yungang" advanced computing center, which is the first advanced computing and data storage center based on cultural relics digital resources in China's cultural and museum system; New progress has been made in the construction of the Longmen Grottoes Research Institute's digital resource library and the digital return of scattered overseas cultural relics. At the same time, China held two international forums on the protection of grotto temples in Dazu, Chongqing and Dunhuang, Gansu in 2023 and 2024, which effectively promoted the protection of world cultural heritage. We still need to be aware that the protection of grotto temples is facing a combination of traditional and new risks, and systemic and persistent threats still exist. One is that the protection technology needs to be strengthened. Continuous climate and environmental changes continue to threaten grottoes, and key protection technologies to address rock weathering, water seepage, structural instability, and microbial mechanisms have not yet been fully developed. Secondly, the concept of protection needs to be transformed. For a long time, the protection of grotto temples in China has relied too much on salvage restoration, often taking action only after significant damage to cultural heritage, lacking systematicity and foresight, which can easily lead to irreversible loss of historical information. Thirdly, the protection team needs to be expanded. Over the years, we have cultivated a group of cultural heritage protection talents, but their knowledge structure and professional skills are still not fully adapted to the requirements of career development. Especially in the remote environment of northwest China, the attraction to young researchers is weak, and cross-border talents are scarce. Fourthly, the scope of protection needs to be expanded. At present, the implementation of protection projects for grotto temples is still focused on national and provincial levels. The protection efforts for small and medium-sized grotto temples are relatively weak, and the protection foundation is relatively weak. This situation urgently needs to be changed. The fifth is that the activation and utilization need to be improved. The protection of grotto temples should not only maintain their material form, but also inherit and showcase the rich cultural essence behind them, enhance the cultural identity of the whole nation, and activate and utilize them, which is extremely crucial. At present, the exploration of cultural and tourism integration in most grotto temples focuses more on the excavation and display of their culture and art, lacking a broader perspective of civilization narrative and deeper level of digital presentation. Based on the current situation, efforts can be made to protect and utilize grotto temples in the future from the following aspects. Firstly, strengthen scientific research. Actively carry out basic scientific research and key technology development for the protection of grotto temples, deepen interdisciplinary cooperation, and pay high attention to targeted and specialized solutions and methods for the common problems faced by grotto temples. Secondly, deepen preventive and systematic protection. We should increase research investment in preventive protection and technological innovation, especially in independent research and development, introduction of international advanced technology, and strengthening cooperation with top global research institutions. We should develop systematic and long-term plans and actively explore community protection networks to cover small and medium-sized grotto sites along the surrounding areas. At the same time, we will promote the systematic protection and unified supervision of cultural heritage, improve the system and mechanism for the protection and inheritance of cultural heritage, and accelerate the improvement of the regulatory system. Thirdly, promote the construction of talent teams. It is suggested to incorporate the cultivation of cultural heritage protection talents into the national education system, encourage more universities and research institutes to offer relevant majors, establish long-term cooperative relationships with international leading institutions, set up joint training programs, and form a full chain talent cultivation system from basic education to high-end training. Fourthly, firmly grasp the discourse power of research on grotto temples. The current research on grotto temples should focus on the overall situation of building China's independent knowledge system, focus on promoting the construction of Dunhuang Studies, Yungang Studies, Longmen Studies and other disciplinary systems, strengthen basic research, form a multi-disciplinary integration pattern, actively carry out multi form academic exchanges, and tell a good story of Chinese civilization "grotto temples". Fifth, promote the integration and upgrading of culture and tourism. Adhering to the concept that the revitalization and utilization of grotto temples is a dynamic, organic, and sustainable development process, the research results of grotto temples are disseminated through public archaeological activities, open exhibitions of important grotto temples, special exhibitions, cloud exhibitions, virtual roaming, virtual restoration, study, and performance, silently enhancing the public's understanding and recognition of the value of grotto temples, and achieving a balance and win-win situation between social and market benefits. (New Society)