Earthen heritage sites are vital components of cultural heritage with irreplaceable historical and cultural value. Most earthen heritage sites are located in regions with seasonal freezing. Therefore, addressing freeze-thaw damage is essential. Freeze-thaw damage to earthen sites is primarily driven by moisture migration, ice lens formation, and the coupled effects of salt, heat, and stress. Compared to bare soil, vegetation cover has different effects on earthen sites. Positively, root systems enhance soil mechanical stability. Plant canopies reduce erosion and buffer temperature and humidity fluctuations. Negatively, strong transpiration intensifies the formation of desiccation cracks. The physicochemical actions of roots accelerate structural deterioration. The coupling mechanism between vegetation and freeze-thaw cycles is complex. The overall impact varies significantly depending on the plant species and regional environment. Current research faces several challenges, including insufficient long-term monitoring data and a lack of models that integrate multiple physical fields. Future work should focus on several key areas: establishing a threshold system for vegetation-freeze-thaw damage is needed, and developing intelligent predictive models is crucial. The ultimate goal is to enable scientific monitoring and protection through interdisciplinary approaches.

The Dazu Rock Carvings are the largest group of grotto statues in southern China. The sandstone statues, located in the Sanqing ancient cave in the Nanshan Rock Carvings area (excavated during the Shaoxing period of the Southern Song Dynasty), exhibit typical disease characteristics, including matrix weathering and erosion of the painted layer, resulting from the long-term influence of geological forces and human factors. The weathering characteristics of the sandstone in the Sanqing ancient cave statues have been systematically studied using multiscale characterization techniques, such as scanning electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, Raman spectroscopy, ion chromatography and laser particle size analysis. The results show that the mineral composition of relatively fresh sandstone is mainly quartz, calcite and feldspar, with secondary products such as clinochlore and raw gypsum generated after weathering of the sandstone. Microstructurally, weathered sandstone is characterized by the dissolution of cements to form a porous network structure, as well as the crystallization and enrichment of gypsum in the surface layer and within the pores of the rock. Compared with fresh sandstone, the content of SO₄^2- in weathered sandstone increased by about 214-526 times, and the content of Ca²⁺ increased by about 19-43 times. The proportion of sand particles (particle size >75 μm) decreased by 1.89%-26.68% (volume fraction), and the proportions of silt particles (particle size of 5-75 μm) and clay particles (particle size <5 μm)increased by 1.84%-19.47% and 0.06%-7.34%, respectively. The transformation and migration of sand particles into silt and clay particles confirms that the mineral transformation during weathering directly leads to the physical fragmentation and finegraining of sandstone. The results provide a reference for the analysis of the weathering mechanism of grotto statues and the formulation of protection strategies for similar stone cultural relics.

Cultural heritage data records information about cultural artifacts, showcasing the splendor of Chinese civilization. It serves as a fundamental resource for achieving the creative transformation and innovative development of China’s outstanding traditional culture. However, the production of this data involves multiple stakeholders, presenting pressing practical challenges such as an unclear definition of property rights, disorderly open access and utilization, and inadequate safety oversight. Based on the types and characteristics of cultural heritage data, this paper studies and analyzes the ownership rights. It proposes types, scenarios, approaches, and processes for the open access and utilization of cultural heritage data. Furthermore, it examines the potential risks associated with open access and utilization. It also offers safety oversight recommendations, thereby constructing a preliminary framework for the open access and utilization of cultural heritage data.