The full-color collection of Dunhuang manuscripts has surpassed 100 volumes, presenting reproductions of significant manuscripts from the 11 institutions in Northwest China's Gansu Province, the National Library of China and the French National Library, state broadcaster CCTV reported.
The Dunhuang manuscripts, discovered in 1900 in the Mogao Caves in Gansu's Dunhuang, span from the 4th to the 11th century. These ancient documents, which include handwritten texts, printed materials and rubbings, are invaluable for research across various disciplines in the humanities and natural sciences, including history, religion, society, geography, ethnology, linguistics, literature and astronomy, according to CCTV.
Currently, approximately 70,000 Dunhuang manuscripts are distributed among various institutions in China, the UK, France, Russia and Japan. Until now, no unified catalog has been compiled.
Previously, technical constraints meant these manuscripts were primarily published in black-and-white. The current full-color edition seeks to overcome this limitation by offering high-definition, comprehensive reproductions that assemble scattered manuscripts from around the world.
Zhang Zhiqing, a deputy director of the National Center for Preservation and Conservation of Ancient Books, highlighted the Dunhuang manuscripts as a cumulative record that bears traces of people from different eras. Without revealing these details, researches would be impossible, making color reproductions better.
The National Library of China holds over 16,000 items of Dunhuang manuscripts, the largest collection globally, with a cumulative length of 34,600 meters. Ongoing efforts to catalog, protect, and restore these manuscripts have existed for over a century.
Details like red ink markings and faded characters, which were difficult to discern in black-and-white editions, are now clearly visible. The restoration of damaged and creased sections of the Dunhuang manuscripts has uncovered more textual information, providing researchers with more detailed and specific evidence for their studies.
Liu Bo, director of the Ancient Books Library at the National Library of China, noted that "Corrections and annotations in red ink, previously indistinct in black-and-white reproductions, are now vividly clear in the new color editions."
Besides, the Dunhuang manuscripts from Gansu include over 1,100 Chinese-language manuscripts from 11 institutions in the province, including the Dunhuang Academy.
Among global collections, the French National Library's Dunhuang manuscripts are particularly valuable due to their long scroll format. Published by Shanghai Classics Publishing House, this edition marks the first time that these manuscripts are available in high-definition color in China.
This new edition significantly enhances the manuscripts' legibility and research value compared with the black-and-white versions released in the 1990s. The publication also provides valuable experience for the systematic preservation and publication of overseas manuscripts.
Lü Jian, president of Shanghai Classics Publishing House, pointed out that intricate details, such as the depiction of dragons, are now clearly discernible, providing fresh perspectives on historical iconography.
Zhang noted that the Dunhuang manuscripts offer a vivid glimpse into the 4th to 11th centuries, and their study enriches our understanding of Chinese civilization and its contributions to the broader history of world civilizations.
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