Over the years, Chen Huili has developed clever and unique ways to repair damage to priceless artifacts, Yang Feiyue reports in Chongqing.

The light immediately dims and the air feels fresh on the face as you step into the Yuanjue Cave. It takes a little while for your eyes to adjust until you are able to make out the delicately carved Buddha and Bodhisattva rock figurines that have sat there neatly for over a thousand years.

In the low light, Chen Huili points to the lower edges of the outer robes of one of the figurines. "Look at how real and vivid it looks, as if it is real silk fluttering in the wind."

The cave is tucked away in Dafowan, a site that is part of the Baodingshan cluster of Dazu Rock Carvings in Chongqing's Dazu district.