Last October, restoration in Yunjie Temple in Liaoning's Chaoyang City outraged critics and public alike with cartoon qualities more appropriate to Disney than the Buddha. The restoration was not approved and was carried out by amateurs. New paint was applied directly on top of the original and is of a totally different subject. Pictures were posted online and appalled critics said there is no way to restore the original.

Li Xiangdong, deputy head of cultural heritage in Liaoning tells of how the province has 128 national and more than 400 provincial cultural heritage sites, but only five qualified preservation and restoration organizations.

Li Shengneng, deputy head of the Shenyang Palace Museum is well aware that restorations require considerable effort and are time consuming projects.

"Failures are intolerable in restoration of historical artifacts, and lead to the disappearance of history," Li said. "It takes a long time for one to master the techniques. Older professionals are retiring, and there are nowhere near enough young people to take their place."

The authorities are working to improve the situation. In July 2009, a research center for the protection of the these kinds of works was launched by Dunhuang Research Academy, the first national research center for fresco restoration.
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