An experts' international team first photographed and scanned the caves' damaged interiors and subsequently restored the appearance of the sculptures and statues through advanced imaging technology technique.
Their work was showcased in a special exhibit called "Echoes of the Past" at the University of Chicago Smart Museum and the Smithsonian's Sackler Gallery in Washington, D.C.
"This exhibition is the culmination of an imaginative application of digital technology, years of scholarship and an unprecedented collaboration with Chinese art historians and archaeologists," said Freer and Sackler galleries' Associate director and curator of ancient Chinese art, Keith Wilson.
"Museum visitors will have a rare opportunity to experience these beautiful sculptures within their original historical, religious and social contexts. The format offers a new approach to understanding and interpreting damaged cultural sites", he added.
The cave temples were the cultural achievement of the Northern Qi dynasty, which was a part of the Northern Dynasties period (420-589), when northern China was ruled by the non-Chinese Xianbei.