Exhibition showcases Dunhuang culture, art

By Liu Sitong: 0 Comment(s)Print E-mail China.org.cn, April 10, 2025

The Dunhuang Culture and Art Exhibition is open to the public at the Beijing Exhibition Center in Beijing from the end of March to October, showcasing the finest art from the Mogao Caves, a UNESCO World Heritage site inscribed in 1987, located southeast of Dunhuang city in China's northwestern Gansu province.

The Mogao Caves were designated as a national key relics protection site in 1961. Carved over a timespan of around 1,000 years — from the Sixteen Kingdoms period (304-439) to the Yuan dynasty (1271-1368) — they reflect the evolution of ancient Chinese art as well as the cultural convergence of Dunhuang, a key link along the historical Silk Road.

Through high-precision digital technologies and meticulous efforts, the exhibition presents nearly 300 replica frescos, colored sculptures, and cultural relics, along with nine of the total 735 Mogao Caves. Spanning 10 dynasties, the display captures the richness of Dunhuang's culture and art.

A parallel show illustrates how generations of Mogao Caves protectors from the Dunhuang Academy, the exhibition's organizer, have taken root in a place surrounded by deserts and their enduring efforts to preserve this cultural treasure.