History of the Cave of the Buddhist Scriptures

Author: Sha Wutian
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2004-04-01
Features: In 1900, the Dunhuang Cave Library was opened, revealing tens of thousands of precious Dunhuang documents and artworks to the world. Due to the corruption of the Qing Dynasty and the inadequate protection by local governments, most of them were stolen by successive Western archaeologists, scattered across the world, and have attracted widespread attention from scholars globally, thus forming a new international field of study—Dunhuang Studies. The Dunhuang documents are rich in content, and the Dunhuang cave art is vibrant and colorful. After a century of research by scholars both at home and abroad, significant achievements have been made in various fields of Dunhuang Studies. However, in terms of popular education in Dunhuang Studies, despite the efforts of many scholars, it remains as rare as snow in a white field, seemingly confined to the circle of Dunhuang scholars. For most enthusiasts of Dunhuang culture, Dunhuang Studies remains a mysterious and beautiful enigma. Dunhuang is a shining pearl on the ancient Silk Road, where the Han, Uyghur, Tuyuhun, and Tibetan peoples collectively created Dunhuang culture. Therefore, the art of Mogao Caves, a symbol of Dunhuang Studies, is the crystallization of their collective wisdom and also a product of religious and cultural exchanges between the East and the West. The development of Dunhuang Studies requires both in-depth, high-quality academic research and popularization and promotion, so that more people can understand Dunhuang and appreciate its splendid and magnificent cultural heritage. The 21st century will be a period of deep development for the study of Dunhuang culture, as well as a time for its widespread popularization.