China National Silk Museum Launches Latest Exhibition, Convergence of Civilizations: Dunhuang on the Silk Road

The exhibition features 171 marvelous artifacts related to the ancient city of Dunhuang

HANGZHOU, China, July 12, 2023 /PRNewswire/ — The China National Silk Museum kicked off the fourth annual Silk Road Week on July 12, 2023, with the announcement of this year’s theme entitled, “The Silk Roads: Long Roads, Mutual Goals.” The highlight of this event is the Silk Road themed exhibition “Convergence of Civilizations: Dunhuang on the Silk Road” which contains 171 marvelous artifacts related to the ancient city of Dunhuang.

Divided into four sections, Politics, Economy, and Trade of Dunhuang in Ancient Times; Society and Life in Dunhuang in Ancient Times; Millennium Friendship between Dunhuang and Zhejiang Province; and Caves and Mural Arts in Dunhuang, the exhibition showcases ancient Dunhuang’s glittering past along the Silk Roads from a variety of perspectives, including politics, military, economy, trade, cultural life, among others.

Situated at the west end of the Hexi Corridor, Dunhuang was the transportation hub of the Silk Road and the gate to the western regions since Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty, where bustling scenes of visiting emissaries and traveling merchants jostling with one another could be seen. On land and on the numerous ships calling at ports vividly interpreted the Chinese diplomatic concept of peace and cooperation, openness and inclusiveness, mutual learning, and mutual benefit.

Another attractive focal point of this Dunhuang exhibition is the simulated reconstruction of Cave 285 of the Mogao Caves in the museum gallery. Rich in artistic and religious aspects, Cave 285 describes not only Buddhism but also Taoism, as well as Brahmanism in India, vividly depicting the convergence of Eastern and Western religious arts.

Aside from the Dunhuang exhibition, this year’s Silk Road Week will also feature a Dunhuang Stories lecture series, a Silk Road Coloring Game, a Silk Roads in Youth Eyes painting exhibition, among multiple others. Additionally, the Silk and Silk Roads Symposium which will gather museum directors and researchers from France, Thailand, Uzbekistan, Spain, Italy, Hungary, and China who have been invited to exchange their ideas and experiences regarding the themes of New Trends in Museum Curating and Dunhuang and the Silk Roads. Launched in conjunction with the symposium, the Curators’ Forum will organize on-site visits in different themed museums in Hangzhou and Ningbo, which will allow participants to study the widely-acclaimed exhibitions and conduct specialized exchanges with the curators.