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Potential Development of Dunhuang Studies in 21st Century
Experts on Dunhuang studies agree that the research on the 100-year-old branch of learning will be even more successful in the new millennium.
Fan Jinshi, president of the Institute of Dunhuang Studies, said that the discovery of the Sutra Cave at the Mogao Grottoes was a major cultural discovery. The documents in the cave cover almost all fields of ancient Chinese history, culture and society.
The Sutra Cave, also known as Cave 17, was discovered in 1900 by Wang Yuanlu, a monk who lived at this famous archeological site in northwest China's Gansu Province.
The cave contained 50,000 Buddhist scriptures, documents, embroidery, and paintings on paper and silk.
At the beginning of the 20th Century, Chinese experts launched the world's first research into Dunhuang studies. Headed by Luo Zhenyu and Wang Guowei, they published a series of research works on the field in 1910.
Since the founding of New China, Dunhuang studies have flourished, with plenty of outstanding research developments in diverse areas such as geography, religion economy, art, literature, mathematics, astronomy and medicine.
Meanwhile, Dunhuang studies have attracted flocks of experts from dozens of countries and regions worldwide, including the United States, Japan and France who also contributed considerable findings to the studies of document research and grotto art.
"If we concluded the past century was a success in the Dunhuang studies, experts of Dunhuang studies now face the challenge to achieve even greater progress in the new century," Fan said.
Past research focused on single subjects, she said, while the future research will emphasize Dunhuang art as a whole.
"We will find the relationship between each aspect of Dunhuang art so as to reveal origins of society, science and culture in the country's medieval times," she said.
Meanwhile, comprehensive academic works and books on Sutra Cave relics will be published, and further research will be done on some special subjects such as religion, music, Buddhist art, ethnic languages and folk customs.
Chinese experts are confident they will continue to play a leading role in Dunhuang studies in the 21st Century, the 64-year old archaeologist said.
At present, China has the world's richest treasury of documents and data on Dunhuang Studies. Over 10,000 historical documents discovered in the Sutra Cave are housed in China, and the country also has film of 40,000 other documents scattered overseas.
In addition, the well-preserved Mogao Grottoes provide Chinese experts a chance to carry out detailed studies on the unique Dunhuang grotto art.
Duan Wenjie, a famous Chinese expert on Dunhuang studies, stressed the importance of collaboration in the research on the 100-year-old branch of learning in the new millennium.
Duan, also honorary president of the Institute of Dunhuang Studies, said materials and references that are still locked away in archives will be no good to the development of Dunhuang studies.
"I hope to more Dunhuang cultural relics abroad will be returned to China," said Duan, adding that Chinese experts will have a better understanding of the relics.
The 21st century will be the best period for international cooperation and collaboration in Dunhuang studies, Duan said.
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