Contest aims to cultivate skilled cultural relics restorers

TAIYUAN, March 27 (Xinhua) -- A national vocational skills competition focusing on antique restoration was held in Taiyuan, capital of north China's Shanxi Province, to cultivate highly skilled cultural relics restorers.

The contest, running from March 25 to 26, attracted more than 200 restorers from 27 provincial-level regions in six categories such as clay tiles, ceramics, murals and painted sculptures, and archaeological excavation.

The contestants were required to take two tests, one that assessed their theoretical knowledge and another that tested their practical skills.

Contestant Li Bo, a mural restorer with the Dunhuang Academy who has been in the profession for almost three decades, described the event as a valuable platform for showcasing his skills and also an opportunity to interact and exchange ideas with his peers.

"Young colleagues have a lot of new ideas. Through close communication with them, I can enhance my own skills. Furthermore, this contest will also play a crucial role in bolstering the general level of cultural relics conservation and restoration across the country," he said.

The contest was co-sponsored by the National Cultural Heritage Administration, the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security, and the All-China Federation of Trade Unions.