The fact that ancient Chinese buildings have been preserved for thousands of years without being struck by lightning shows that the ancients have found effective ways to protect buildings from lightning strikes. This low-probability safety risk can be maintained and continued by learning the methods of the ancients, which is in line with the principle of preserving cultural relics as they were before, and can continue to adopt good methods proven by practice.
The ancients had successful experience in lightning protection of ancient buildings. On the one hand, traditional measures should be applied and retained as much as possible to avoid damaging the appearance of cultural relics. Even if lightning protection facilities are added to ancient buildings, lightning protection methods of ancient buildings should be used as much as possible. On the other hand, research on lightning protection methods for ancient buildings should be strengthened. It is recommended that more lightning protection experts study the characteristics of cultural relics buildings, explore different lightning protection measures for the requirements of individual cultural relics buildings, ancient building groups, historical and cultural towns and villages, traditional villages, etc., and truly become lightning protection experts for ancient buildings.
In general, modern lightning protection technology is not recommended to be used first in ancient buildings. It must be very mature and widely used new materials and new technologies. Even if modern means can be used, it must be based on lightning protection of ancient buildings. The two must be combined.
Not all cultural relics and ancient buildings need to be rebuilt with lightning protection projects. Some buildings themselves have cleverly constructed lightning protection systems using components. Some buildings have very special geographical locations, surrounded by high-rise buildings, trees and other shelters that are not easily struck by lightning. For ancient buildings that have no records of being struck by lightning in history, there is no need to build new lightning protection facilities.
It is even more impossible to include lightning protection facilities in national protection units and world cultural heritage sites. The necessity of lightning protection for ancient buildings must be put first. In the case of limited funding support, ancient buildings with high cultural heritage levels can be given priority. In the selection of lightning protection materials, practicality, reliability and economy should be put first. There is no need to consider high, large and high-end imported facilities from abroad. The lightning protection system of the ancient building itself should be transformed and utilized as much as possible.
The main purpose of lightning protection for ancient buildings is to avoid natural disasters, protect the safety of cultural relics, and prolong the life of cultural relics and pass them on forever. The phenomenon of repeatedly torturing the cultural relics themselves must not occur. There are still many ancient buildings that need to be repaired and maintained. We need to use our limited funds in places where there are really major safety hazards to give full play to their due economic and social benefits.