Major exhibition to bring ancient Dunhuang culture to life
A Dunhuang-style showcase in front of China Art Museum on Tuesday.
The China Art Museum exhibition will feature a rich cultural history.
"The Great Art of Dunhuang," an exhibition featuring a wide array of rare artifacts from the Dunhuang Academy collection, is due to kick off at China Art Museum in the Pudong New Area on September 20, bringing the ancient Dunhuang culture to life in Shanghai.
Mogao Grottoes, also known as the Thousand-Buddha Caves, a UNESCO World Heritage Site in Dunhuang, northwest China's Gansu Province, is a world-renowned cultural and artistic treasure house.
Dunhuang culture has a history of nearly 2,000 years, integrating architecture, painted sculptures, and mural art. It is one of the largest, longest-standing, and best-preserved historical relics in China, crowned as the "world's longest desert gallery" and the "cultural art museum on the walls."
People pass posters for the exhibition at China Art Museum.
The exhibition will be the most comprehensive and diverse display of Dunhuang cultural and artistic exhibits in Shanghai to date.
It will showcase 168 pieces from the Dunhuang collection. Focusing on the culture, art, and history of the Mogao Grottoes, it will present a visual feast of cultural relics, replicated classic grottoes, as well as murals and painted sculptures.
Among them are a number of first-time exhibits in Shanghai, representative and rare artifacts and national treasures.
Models wear Dunhuang-style clothing in front of China Art Museum on Tuesday.
The event will also feature digital reproductions of classic grottoes, offering visitors an immersive experience akin to standing in Dunhuang itself.
Among the highlights will be a stone pagoda from the Northern Liang Dynasty (397-460), the largest cultural relic in the Dunhuang Academy collection, the Shengli Stele that recorded the construction time of the Mogao Grottoes, and an embroidered Buddha statue from the Northern Wei Dynasty (386-534), all making their debut in Shanghai.
The life-size replica of the grottoes will include the famous Cave 285, known as the "pantheon of diverse cultures," and Cave 320, home to what is often called the "most beautiful flying apsaras."
These replicas will provide a unique opportunity for visitors to experience the splendor of Dunhuang's Buddhist art without leaving Shanghai.
A virtual journey from Shanghai to Mogao Grottoes
The exhibition will also present six precious manuscripts from the caves. It comprises four sections, which explore the cultural exchanges along the Silk Road, display life-size replicas of six Mogao caves, highlight the discoveries from the Dunhuang collection, and pay tribute to generations of Dunhuang scholars and their efforts in preserving this cultural legacy.
During the exhibition, China Art Museum will launch a global solicitation of paintings with the theme of Dunhuang and invite experts and scholars in Dunhuang studies, art, and cultural heritage fields to host lectures.
Rich and diverse artistic experiences such as rock painting and mural copying will also be held during the exhibition.
Tickets for the exhibition are priced at 98 yuan and are available at online platforms such as Trip.com, Damai, Douyin, Maoyan, and Spring Tour.
If you go
Date: September 20-December 20 (closed on Mondays)
Venue: China Art Museum 中华艺术宫
Address: 205 Shangnan Rd 上南路205号
Admission: 98 yuan
