Indicates the type of a location. Location Type Defined by CCTVPLUS Indicates the role that a specific instance of a description takes among all descriptions. Description Role Defined by CCTVPLUS The role in the overall content stream. Part Role Indicates a kind of content rendition. Content Rendition Defined by CCTVPLUS CCTV Newscontent Co.,Ltd. CCTV Newscontent Co.,Ltd. All Rights Reserved. No access Chinese mainland CCTV Newscontent www.cctvplus.com +86-10-83949886 +86-10-63978447 contact@cctvplus.com 2026-09-11T22:03:28Z 2026-09-11T22:03:28Z 2026-09-11 2014-11-06T09:22:45Z China Central Television Peru Other Recent Peru-Ancient City/Preservation El Nino-triggered weather threatens preservation of Peru's world heritage site Chan Chan Ancient adobe structures in Peru have come under threat due to El Nino-triggered rains, which could severely damage archeological sites that the country has strived to preserve. Chan Chan, the ancient city in the Moche Valley outside Trujillo was once a thriving capital of the Chimor Empire, built to make use of the valley's precious water resources and irrigation systems over a thousand years ago. Located on the northern coast of present-day Peru, about 480 km north of Lima, the ancient city is one of the largest and most important pre-Hispanic earthen architecture cities in the Americas. In 1986, it was inscribed on the World Heritage List for its extensive, hierarchically planned remains, which include remnants of the industrial, agricultural, and water management systems that sustained it. Today, however, the clay architecture built centuries ago is vulnerable to flooding, soil erosion, and moisture damage. "As the buildings are made of earth, rainwater erodes the surface of the walls and then seeps into the interior, creating grooves and voids through water-flow erosion. In the most severe cases, it may even affect the core structure of the walls, leading the wall or the whole structure to collapse," said Henry Gayoso Rullier, head of the Research, Conservation and Enhancement Unit of the Chan Chan Archaeological Complex Special Project. To prevent rain erosion, archaeological conservators have installed roofs with drainage systems in key areas of the ancient city. Staff regularly repair the wall surfaces with chemical curing agents and mud. "Depending on the specific area and conditions, we install roofs with drainage systems over certain sections to prevent rainwater from falling directly onto the walls, particularly those with decorative elements. For undecorated walls, we apply a protective layer to the top and then cover the sides and surfaces with a sacrificial layer, namely a thick coating of adobe and mud, to encase the entire structure. This ensures that when it rains, the water erodes this protective layer first, sparing the original wall from direct damage," said Rullier. Spanish/Nats/Part Mute Trujillo, Peru - Recent (CCTV - No access Chinese mainland) 1. Aerial shots of Chan Chan ancient city site 2. Tourists walking 3. Patterns on wall 4. SOUNDBITE (Spanish) Henry Gayoso Rullier, head, Research, Conservation and Enhancement Unit, Chan Chan Archaeological Complex Special Project: "As the buildings are made of earth, rainwater erodes the surface of the walls and then seeps into the interior, creating grooves and voids through water-flow erosion. In the most severe cases, it may even affect the core structure of the walls, leading the wall or the whole structure to collapse." 5. Patterns on wall 6. Worker walking with wheelbarrow 7. Various of Chan Chan ancient city site with roofs 8. Researcher painting chemical curing agents on wall 9. Tourists walking 10. SOUNDBITE (Spanish) Henry Gayoso Rullier, head, Research, Conservation and Enhancement Unit, Chan Chan Archaeological Complex Special Project (partially overlaid with shot 11): "Depending on the specific area and conditions, we install roofs with drainage systems over certain sections to prevent rainwater from falling directly onto the walls, particularly those with decorative elements. For undecorated walls, we apply a protective layer to the top and then cover the sides and surfaces with a sacrificial layer, namely a thick coating of adobe and mud, to encase the entire structure. This ensures that when it rains, the water erodes this protective layer first, sparing the original wall from direct damage." ++SHOT OVERLAYING SOUNDBITE++ 11. Various of patterns on wall, earthern wall ++SHOT OVERLAYING SOUNDBITE++ 12. Researcher painting chemical curing agents on wall 13. Aerial shots of Chan Chan ancient city site