Dunhuang Manuscripts: Insights into Ancient China

The Dunhuang manuscripts are a vast collection of around 20,000 scrolls and fragments found in the Mogao Caves of Dunhuang, China. Dating from the 5th to the 11th centuries AD, these manuscripts were sealed in a hidden chamber and remained undiscovered for nearly 900 years. They include a wide variety of texts, such as Buddhist scriptures, Taoist writings, Christian texts, Manichaean literature, as well as secular documents on topics like mathematics, history, astronomy, and folk literature, providing invaluable insights into the cultural and historical interactions along the Silk Route.