THREE popular grottoes including a UNESCO World Heritage site, the Mogao Grottoes, in Northwest China’s Gansu Province, were temporarily closed to visitors Oct. 20 as local authorities beefed up epidemic control measures. The reopening dates for the Mogao Grottoes, the Yulin Grottoes and the Western Thousand-Buddha Caves located in the city of Jiuquan are subject to further notice, the Dunhuang Academy said. The closure came after confirmed COVID-19 cases from other provinces had earlier traveled to the cities of Jiuquan, Jiayuguan and Zhangye. As of Saturday, Gansu Province had 41 confirmed COVID-19 cases in five cities including province capital Lanzhou, Zhangye, Jiayuguan, Tianshui and Longnan, according to the provincial health commission. The new infections have prompted authorities to temporarily close more than 40 tourist destinations in Lanzhou, Jiayuguan and Zhangye starting Oct. 18. (Xinhua) | 