People will soon be able to apply for permission to visit the famous Dunhuang Mogao Grottoes in northwest China's Gansu province over the internet.

The new online approval site will take over the role of the current tourist office in Dunhuang County. During the peak season, all tour groups and individual tourists will need to book a time to visit the caves online, according to the Dunhuang Academy, the official institute in charge of the protection, research and management of the Dunhuang Grottoes.

"We will start this online booking service after April 1st, but no later than May 1st," Academy Vice Dean Liu Huilin said. "It is aimed to better manage the flow of visitors during the peak season, to preserve the historical relics."

Every year, thousands of tourists from China and abroad visit the Dunhuang Mogao Grottoes to see the "holy hall of Buddhist art". More than a thousand people visit the Mogao Grottoes every day during the peak season, from April to October. In 2006, the highest number of visitors recorded in a single day was more than 6, 800.

People will soon be able to apply for permission to visit the famous Dunhuang Mogao Grottoes in northwest China's Gansu province over the internet. The Dunhuang Mogao Grottoes are more than 1,600 years old. Today, 735 caves house 45, 000 square meters of murals and more than 2400 painted sculptures. The grottoes were listed as a World Cultural Heritage site in 1987. [File Photo: fokok.com]

The excessive numbers of tourists are already taking a toll on the relics. Increased numbers of visitors have caused increased the temperatures, humidity, and carbon dioxide levels inside the grottoes to rise. This in turn has accelerated the pace at which the frescoes are fading and turning saline.

The Dunhuang Mogao Grottoes, also called the Thousand Buddha Caves, are more than 1,600 years old. Today, 735 caves house 45, 000 square meters of murals and more than 2400 painted sculptures. The grottoes were listed as a World Cultural Heritage site in 1987.