Dunhuang Art Returns to Shanghai with Fine Exhibits, Replica Grottoes

Credit: Jiang Xiaowei / Shanghai Daily

Caption: One of the replica grottoes showcased in the exhibition

The thousand-year-old Dunhuang art is coming to Shanghai again. Nearly 100 exquisite exhibits and five elaborate replica grottoes will take visitors on a journey through time, offering an immersive Dunhuang cultural experience.

The cultural and art feast spanning 3,000 kilometers will take place at Yi Fung Place in Changning District from October 23, bringing the ancient Dunhuang culture to life in Shanghai.

The Mogao Grottoes, also known as the Thousand-Buddha Caves, are a UNESCO World Heritage Site located in Dunhuang, northwest China's Gansu Province, and are recognized as a world-renowned cultural and artistic treasure.

Dunhuang culture has a history of nearly 2,000 years, integrating architecture, painted sculptures, and mural art. They are 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."

Credit: Jiang Xiaowei / Shanghai Daily

Caption: Another replica grotto

The exhibition is open to the public for free and is expected to spark a new wave of Dunhuang culture fever in Shanghai. To avoid overcrowding and potential access restrictions, the exhibition will adopt a reservation system.

Exhibits include five replica grottoes of the classic Mogao Grottoes, representative murals from the early, middle, and late periods of Dunhuang, and graceful Dunhuang painted sculptures will be presented.

Highlights include the Cave 220, crowned Dunhuang's most beautiful and legendary grotto; the Cave 17, known as the "Library Cave" where tens of thousands of cultural relics were discovered; murals with pipa (China's traditional four-stringed lute) dance patterns; and colorful sculptures.

Last year, the "The Great Art of Dunhuang," which featured a wide array of rare artifacts from the Dunhuang Academy collection and created an immersive "experience of Dunhuang in Shanghai" at China Art Museum, drew 300,000 visitors.