In their freshly-circulated newsletter, timed perfectly for the Winter Solstice of 2024, the team at the British Library’s International Dunhuang Programme (IDP) brought to a close their 30th anniversary celebrations. This year saw many important milestones and accomplishments that will shape the IDP’s identity and strategic direction in the decades to come.
In February, the IDP launched a new English-language website with a crisp, modern interface, with a new logo and visual identity. The updated website boasts enhanced search functions, IIIF image-viewing capabilities, and many other improvements for researchers and cataloguers. For those that have followed the IDP in the past, a striking change is the replacement of “Programme” with “Project” (“IDP” once stood for International Dunhuang Project), which in the team’s vision, better reflects “the scope and ambition of the IDP as a long-term partnership.”
In April, the BL and the Dunhuang Academy co-organised an international conference at Dunhuang, bringing together scholars, professionals, as well as IDP partners and collaborators.
Titled “International Symposium on Overseas Dunhuang Cultural Relics & International Dunhuang Programme Workshop,” this event was testament to two trends. Firstly, Dunhuang has a physical, literal presence around the world due to the manuscripts and artifacts that are in the hands of diverse institutions from St. Petersburg to London. Secondly, the IDP is one of the premier heirs to this global responsibility, shaped by historical circumstance and custodial necessity. What I call “the Dunhuang Heritage” is unique in its own right: it is not solely Chinese, but it is also uniquely part of China while at the same time embracing the world and its interconnected history.
In September, the BL opened its still-running exhibit (it closes in February 2025) A Silk Road Oasis: Life in Ancient Dunhuang (you can read our interview with the curator, Mélodie Doumy, here). Unlike the usual Dunhuang exhibit, which can be sometimes topically staid or “orthodox,” the curators took a thematically refreshing approach by providing “a glimpse into the ordinary lives of people long ago through the remarkable contents of the Library Cave, part of the Buddhist cave complex of Mogao.” (IDP)
The manuscripts in each individual section hence embody a certain personality or character that would have actually used the displayed items, offering a more relatable, evocative experience. The exhibition includes star items such as the BL’s prized Diamond Sutra, the Dunhuang star chart (which is the earliest surviving astronomical chart of any civilization), as well as the earliest surviving Zoroastrian manuscript, attesting to the extraordindary international nature of the Dunhuang Heritage. And to immerse visitors in the atmosphere of the silk routes, the IDP commissioned musicians and mixers to produce a soundscape consisting of newly recorded tracks and archival materials.
The exhibit will close with a special symposium on 21 and 22 February 2025, which Buddhistdoor Global will be attending. This symposium’s objective will be to provide an accessible platform for engaging with ground-breaking research. I am proud to be participating in this gathering of emerging and established international scholars from around the globe, with one goal being to shape fresh insights into the multicultural nature of the Dunhuang Heritage and its enduring influence and meaning in our contemporary era. The symposium will be held in-person at the Lecture Theatre while also being available online via livestream. As someone who considers himself a Hongkonger, I am particularly excited that the BL will also host a concert by the renowned Hong Kong Gaudeamus Dunhuang Ensemble on the evening of the 21st.
While the full schedules are yet to be circulated, I can report that the two general themes of the 21st and 22nd will be as follows:
Day 1: Discover the intricacies of daily life in ancient Dunhuang and explore its pivotal role as a Silk Road hub connected to neighbouring regions.
Day 2: Learn about innovative new research in Dunhuang studies and immerse yourself in how Dunhuang continues to inspire today’s artists across various media—from visual arts to music. (IDP)
A blend of the arts, contemporary relevance, and celebration of history: this celebration of IDP’s 30th anniversary is one of deep significance and beauty. As someone who has read about and visited Dunhuang several times over his years of reporting on the area, and having followed the IDP’s activities for a while, I also want to congratulate to the Programme for their impactful work in extending the knowledge and enhancing the preservation of Dunhuang’s heritage.
Related features from BDG
The British Library’s “A Silk Road Oasis” – Mélodie Doumy’s Exploration of Dunhuang’s Cultural Convergence
Buddhistdoor View: Telling a History We Can All Resonate with through Dunhuang
Related blog posts from BDG
Mélodie Doumy’s “A Silk Road Oasis” at the British Library
The British Library’s “A Silk Road Oasis” – an ambitious story of the Silk Road’s finest textual treasures