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Majority of Dunhuang Sutra Cave Relics Kept in Foreign Countries
A total of 57, 794 items of relics have been discovered so far in the Sutra Cave at the world-famous Mogao Grottoes in northwest China's Gansu Province, much more than the widely reported 50,000, Chinese scholars said. However, the majority of the relics are now being kept in a dozen foreign countries.
Chinese experts have called for the return of the Dunhuang relics kept by foreign countries to China during the ongoing series of activities to mark the 100th anniversary of the discovery of the Sutras Cave.
According to scholars at the Institute of Dunhuang Studies in Gansu, many relics found in the cave are scattered in 13 countries- - China, Britain, France, Russia, Japan, the United States, Germany, Denmark, India, Finland, the Republic of Korea, Australia and Sweden.
The Sutra Cave was reportedly accidentally found by a Taoist priest when he was clearing sand from the No. 16 grotto on June 22, 1900.
The cave, containing the relics from a dozen dynasties, offers valuable materials for the study of the history, geography, religion, economy, politics, culture, nationalities, literature, arts and science and technology of ancient China and Central Asia.
The discovery of the cave, considered one of China's four major archaeological discoveries in the 20th century, created its own branch of learning -- Dunhuang Studies.
The institute is actively seeking ways to gather the lost Dunhuang relics through donations or purchase, he noted.
In 1997, a Japanese donated eight Dunhuang relics kept by his family, becoming the first foreigner to voluntarily return Dunhuang relics to China.
Chinese experts hope that his action will inspire more foreigners and foreign governments to return Dunhuang treasures to China.
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