China, US Collaborate on Digitizing Dunhuang Treasures

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Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Wednesday, December 04, 2002

China, US Collaborate on Digitizing Dunhuang Treasures

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A project currently underway will make it possible for enthusiasts to access digitized images of frescos, sculptures and documents from China's ancient grottoes at Dunhuang held in libraries and museums worldwide.

The project which began late last year, is known as the Mellon International Dunhuang Archives. It is co-sponsored by the Dunhuang Research Academy of China and the A. W. Mellon Educational and Charitable Trust based in the United States and others.

Under the project, photos taken with state-of-the-art digital cameras, will be refined into digital images and input as archives on the host computers.

Through a long-distance network due to open in 2003, libraries, museums and other users can access the archives for free if they provide material for the archives, or for a fee if they do not. Users will have to sign contracts limiting their use of the digital material to academic and educational purposes.

These archives will make available frescos, sculptures and other Dunhuang material both remaining inside the Dunhuang caves and those scattered around the world, said William G. Bowen, president of the trust.

Photographers took pictures recently frescos and sculptures inside 22 grottos at Dunhuang in northwest China's Gansu Province.

"Digitizing the Dunhuang material will help promote the recording and conservation of Dunhuang cultural treasures," said Fan Jinshi, president of the Dunhuang Research Academy.

Fan said he couldn't predict when the project would be completed since more and more institutions were joining in.

A monitoring system is also being designed to check whether the material was used legally and appropriately.

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