The research team led by Professor Lei Yuhua, through their Research on the Archaeology of Architectural Facades of Southern Chinese Grottoes, breaks the tradition of non-communication between the 
conservation engineering, archaeology and art studies of grotto temples. By employing an interdisciplinary 
methodology, the study systematically examines the distribution, characteristics, and significant value of grottoes in southern China. Utilizing archaeological methods, it investigates and analyzes front-cave architectures, ruins, and protective facilities of southern Chinese grottoes across different dynasties, with a particular focus on the SichuanChongqing area. The research reinterprets the “original state” of southern grottoes and decodes the multifaceted meanings of cliff engravings. The findings bridges the gap between academia and practice, fills a critical gap in the survey of front-cave architectures and related ruins of southern Buddhist grottoes, reconstructs the historical archives of protective facilities of cliff carvings and southern grottoes, and provides valuable recommendations for the construction of protective infrastructure for southern grottoes today.