3D Printing allows for the reproduction of World Heritage Sites in China

Even though vandalism and accidents may occur, interacting with old artifacts or monuments can lead to their destruction. You might be familiar with precious books, which researchers must use gloves to protect the pages. The Vatican statue of St Peter is just one example. It has been damaged by years of human touch. 3D printing may be a way to preserve these valuable pieces of heritage while still allowing the public to explore and learn from the past. The technology They can also provide reproductions, copies and reconstructions of historical pieces. For example, you could have a 3D printed reproduction from a Unesco Heritage Site.

A 3D printed replica of one of the Yungang Grottoes caves is currently on display in China. The Grottoes, a Buddhist temple and collection containing caves, are listed on the Unesco World heritage site list. They were cut between 5th-6th centuries AD. They include a total of 252 caves and 51,000 statues. The carved area is 18,000 square meters. Unesco makes no secret of their importance; according to them, the caves ‘constitute a classical masterpiece of the first peak of Chinese Buddhist art’. 

Close-up of the 3D-printed Amitabha Buddha (9.93 m) in cave 3. (Photo credit to CFP via Getty Image).

The Reproduction of the Caves: How, Why and How?

The 3D printed reproduction has the exact same appearance as the original cave. The copy is 17.9m high by 13.6m wide, while main Buddha stands at 9.93m tall. 

This cave was constructed in the same way as all 3D printing projects. First, 3D technicians collected some 10,000 images of the cave and the Buddha in order to build up  a digital model. Of course, they cant print an entire construction in one go – the model was divided into 842 parts which were printed using multiple 3D printers. Researchers didn’t specify which 3D printer model was used, but the final images indicate that the cave was printed with concrete. This would suggest that FDM 3D printing was used. It took three months to complete the installation and coloring stages.

The Yunyang Grottoes is a large cave system that attracts many tourists each year. (Photo credit: Ian Whitfield

This reproduction has obvious advantages for academics as well as the general public. It allows ordinary people to see the caves in a real way without having to worry about damaging or degrading historical art. Digitally and permanently documenting the caves allows for historical preservation. This is not the first time 3D printing has been used for this purpose. Scan the World, which produces 3D scans for preservation of precious monuments, is one of the most well-known 3D technology projects. In October last year the organization called for  the scanning of the Easter Island Statues (the Moai) after a fire damaged many statues in the collection.

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*Cover photo credit: CFP via Getty Image