Exhibition brings ancient Dunhuang culture, artifacts to Shanghai

A cultural and art feast which spans 3,000 kilometers began at the China Art Museum in the Pudong New Area on Friday, bringing the ancient Dunhuang culture to life in Shanghai.

As a highlight of the ongoing 2024 Shanghai Tourism Festival, "The Great Art of Dunhuang" features a wide array of rare artifacts from the Dunhuang Academy collection and has created an immersive "experience of Dunhuang in Shanghai" for residents and tourists from near and far.

Mogao Grottoes, also known as the Thousand-Buddha Caves, is a UNESCO World Heritage Site in Dunhuang, northwest China's Gansu Province, and 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."

The exhibition is the most comprehensive and diverse display of Dunhuang cultural and artistic exhibits in Shanghai to date.

Focusing on the culture, art, and history of the World Heritage Site, it showcases 168 pieces and sets from the Dunhuang collection. Among them are a number of first-time exhibits in Shanghai, representative and rare artifacts, and national treasures that are prohibited from leaving the country.

The display also features reproductions of several classic grottoes, offering visitors an immersive experience akin to standing in Dunhuang itself.

Among the highlights are 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 debuts in Shanghai.

The life-size replica of the grottoes includes 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."

"The exhibition is held during the Shanghai Tourism Festival, which makes it even more special, and we hope it will serve as a window of cultural exchange, helping more people to get to know Dunhuang culture and attract more tourists to visit Dunhuang on-site," said Bai Jian, a counselor from the Gansu Province Cultural Relics bureau.

Tickets for the exhibition are priced at 98 yuan (US$13.90) per adult and activities including lectures on Dunhuang culture, rock art copying, and lacquer art experiences will be held throughout the exhibition.

If you go:

Date: 10am - 6pm, 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