Distinguished guests attend the opening ceremony for the Dunhuang grotto mural exhibition. [Photo/ynu.edu.cn]

An exhibition featuring murals found in the Dunhuang grottoes was held at the Yunnan University (YNU) library on April 10. 

The exhibition was held by the Dunhuang Academy China, YNU, the China Dunhuang Grottoes Conservation Research Foundation, and the Yunnan Association for the Promotion of Natural and Cultural Heritage Protection.

Yan Youqiong, former deputy Party secretary of the leading Party group of the standing committee of the Yunnan Provincial People’s Congress; Yang Xiuqing, director of the China Dunhuang Grottoes Conservation Research Foundation; Zhao Shengliang, deputy dean of the Dunhuang Academy China; Lin Wenxun, president of YNU; Li Jianyu, deputy Party secretary of YNU; Fang Bing, president of the Yunnan Association for the Promotion of Natural and Cultural Heritage Protection, and other representatives from various communities attended the exhibition’s opening ceremony.

Yan said he hopes more people will have a chance to witness the Dunhuang Grotto murals, which are considered an essential part of Chinese culture.

“The exhibition will help improve YNU’s cultural influence and encourage YNU students to learn about traditional Chinese culture,” YNU President Lin Wenxun said in his speech during the opening ceremony.

Zhao Shengliang gifted books on Dunhuang grotto murals to YNU on behalf of the Dunhuang Academy of China. 

On the afternoon of April 10, Zhao delivered a lecture on topics related to the cultural heritage of the Dunhuang Grottoes, including how a large number of the cultural relics in the grottoes went missing and how research on Dunhuang grottoes spread around the world 

Using digital display technology, the exhibition showcased 60 cultural relics discovered in the Dunhuang grottoes, including murals, documents, painting rolls, and sculptures.

Visitors can look up information on specific murals by scanning a nearby QR code.

The Dunhuang mural exhibition has been held at more than 30 universities, including Tsinghua University, Renmin University of China, the Central Academy of Fine Arts, Wuhan University, and Shanghai Jiaotong University.

The exhibition at YNU will run until May 10.

Dunhuang grotto art combines architecture, sculpturing, and mural art. Although Dunhuang murals are only meant for decoration and are supplementary to the sculptures in the grottoes, they are the most numerous, largest in size, and most impressive of all the art found there. They are a valuable resource for research on ancient Chinese politics, economics, culture, military, geography, communication, social life, international relations, religious history, art history, and cultural exchanges.

Visitors admire the murals, whose displays make use of digital technology. [Photo/ynu.edu.cn]