This paper uses bibliometric methods to analyze the research progress and popular topics in the international research literature on cave temples and ancient murals published between 1908 and 2022 that is collected in the China National Knowledge Infrastructure （CNKI） and Web of Science （WOS），and then renders the results in quantitative and visual form. The results show that the research papers published in the CNKI and WOS databases can be divided into three stages of development：an embryonic stage，a development stage and a growth stage. The most obvious recent trend is that the number of papers published annually has increased rapidly in the past decade. In terms of number of papers published，the top two countries are China and Italy，while several European countries like Spain and Britain，and Asian countries like Japan and India，also rank quite high. In terms of the quality of academic papers，those from European countries are generally superior to those from Asian countries. In the CNKI database the papers are concentrated in periodicals like Dunhuang Research and Cultural Relic Conservation and Archaeological Science，while in the WOS database，the Journal of Cultural Heritage ranks first and is followed by several high-quality journals in the fields of geotechnical mechanics，geological engineering and environmental science. In terms of academic disciplines，the papers in CNKI are mainly related to archaeology，tourism and religion，while those in WOS are more focused on analytical chemistry，spectroscopy and material science. In terms of research organizations，the domestic Chinese institutions are led by the Dunhuang Academy and Lanzhou University while the more prominent international institutes are primarily located in Italy，Spain and France. Most of the“top 10” authors in the CNKI database are from the Dunhuang Academy，while in the WOS，a large number of high-quality papers are attributed to Spanish authors. Funding for research in China mainly comes from the National Natural Science Foundation of China and the National Science and Technology Support Program，while in Europe，the majority of funding comes from the European Commission and the Spanish government. Finally，the focuses of research in the CNKI are primarily centered around cave temples，the Mogao Grottoes and cultural relic conservation， while the papers in the WOS are focused on murals，paint pigments and Raman Spectra analysis. Based on the above research trends，this analysis predicts that future research will likely focus on the topics of risk monitoring， weathering prevention，water hazard management，and biological damage prevention and control. Significant breakthroughs in conservation theory，conservation materials，key technologies，academic standards and specifications，equipment research and the development of cooperative multidisciplinary research will be especially important to the future of the field.

The surfaces of sandstone artifacts in many cave temples throughout China have deteriorated to an alarmingly unstable state and require immediate preservation using appropriate and scalable-i.e. reprocessable-measures. Based on an initial assessment of the types of deterioration and the condition of sandstone artifacts that have received“anti-weathering” treatment in cave temples，this study proposes a strategy for stabilizing sandstone relics and mitigating surface damage caused by heavy weathering. “Stabilization” here refers to all the conservation measures that can be used to protect sandstone artifacts from further damage，which are based on the principle of minimal intervention in order to protect both the macro and micro environments of the sites as much as possible，and which include deep-structure reinforcement，grouting and basic repair around the site，and improvement of the security of cultural relics in order to ensure a safe environment for future conservation work. The materials used for stabilization should include inorganic materials that are well researched and proven by historical use，as well as materials that existed organically before being reprocessed into inorganic forms due to solidifying or expiring. Preliminary tests completed on the Dazu rock carvings in Chongqing show that severely deteriorated sandstone surfaces can be successfully repaired，and that surface stability can be effectively improved by maintaining the appropriate conditions related to water content，temperature and humidity. The primary conditions for ensuring the success of further conservation work lie in making sure that the environmental properties listed above remain virtually unchanged.

The 14th Five-Year Plan for the Protection of Cultural Relics and the Development of Scientific and Technological Innovation has recently been incorporated into the national planning of China. Improving the scientific and technological innovation abilities for cultural relics，the application of science and technology in the field of cultural relic conservation，promoting the solution of key difficulties and bottlenecks；all of these are important guarantees for supporting and leading high-quality development in the field cultural conservation. Further，the process of top-level design，scientific research practice，and conservation and utilization should all be carried out while keeping in mind the scientific and technological innovation of cultural relics，strengthening the protection of intellectual property rights，and improving the exchange and communication of scientific and technological achievements. From the perspective of quantitative evaluation，research on patent achievements in the field of cultural relic conservation mainly reflects the trends of regional distribution, patent quality，operations，legal information and the ranking of both domestic and international inventor patent achievements in protection materials for cultural relics；these trends intuitively present a centralized distribution direction for patent research on protective materials in the form of indexing. At the same time, the patents reveal vital information about the patent applications and patentee profiles in the areas of cultural relics protection technology, integration technology，equipment，virtual restoration，and so on. Patents provide a reference for the choice of scientific research practices while helping users to avoid the risk of unlawful infringement，and moreover provide basic information support for strengthening future patent applications, technical cooperation,and further achievements and transformation in the field of cultural relic protection.