Retiree recalls career conserving rock carvings in Chongqing's Dazu

CHONGQING－From remote counties in China to far-flung corners of the world, 86-year-old Guo Xiangying has been on the move throughout his career.

He has been focused on one purpose: conserving and popularizing the 50,000-odd rock carvings, dating to between the 9th and 13th centuries, in the grottoes of Dazu district in Chongqing municipality.

"At first, I didn't like the carvings that much. But later, I came to see them as my lifeline," he said. "My devotion to them developed during a long period of loneliness."