the 1930s meant traveling muddy,poorly maintained roads by
mule (or on foot.Inns often provided food that could be
polluted,and there was always risk from wild animals.
Their greatest discovery was the Temple of Buddha's Light,
in Wutai County,Shanxi Province.The breathtaking wooden
temple was built in 471 AD,making it the oldest building known
in China at the time.
Liang and Lin crawled into the temple's most forbidden,for
gotten areas to determine its age,including one hideaway con-
trolled by thousands of bats and millions of bedbugs(臭虫),cov-
ered in dust and littered with dead bats."In complete darkness
and among the awful smell,hardly breathing,with thick masks
covering our noses and mouths,we measured,drew,and photo-