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From Dispersal to Dialogue: A Global History and Future Horizon of International Dunhuang Studies



Author(s)

ZHAO Guoyue

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DOI:10.17265/2159-5836/2026.04.009

Yangtze Normal University, Chongqing, China

Dunhuang Studies has transformed from a 20th-century “national sorrow” into a 21st-century global academic subject. The 1900 discovery of the “Library Cave” (Cave 17) initiated a narrative of immense archaeological revelation followed by systematic dispersal to global collections. Historically, this diaspora fueled nationalistic competition and cultural trauma in China; however, a significant paradigm shift has redirected the field toward global collaboration and digital integration. By reviewing regional research traditions—from British archaeological rigor and French philology to Russian linguistics and Japanese socio-historical analysis—this study shows how fragmented efforts have converged into a unified dialogue. Central to this “Holistic Turn” is the emergence of Dunhuang Manuscript Studies, which integrates material codicology with traditional historiography. Furthermore, technological innovations such as 3D spatial reconstruction and artificial intelligence now empower researchers to move beyond isolated scrolls toward a systematic understanding of the Silk Road ecosystem. In future, Dunhuang Studies will still serve as a vital bridge for trans-cultural dialogue, facilitated by “digital repatriation” and the “shared heritage” model. This maturation ensures that the diverse voices of medieval Eurasia reach a global audience, transcending historical divisions and geographic boundaries.

Dunhuang Studies, manuscriptology, Silk Road, digital humanities