Dunhuang exhibition opens in Berlin

A major exhibition of Buddhist art treasures from Dunhuang in Gansu province is underway at the Chinese Cultural Center in Berlin. The show is titled Thousand-year Art of Dunhuang.

A major exhibition of Buddhist art treasures from Dunhuang in Gansu province is underway at the Chinese Cultural Center in Berlin.

The exhibition showcases two caves, the Mogao Grottoes Cave Number 275 and Yulin Grottoes Cave 25. It contains exact reproductions of the ancient Silk Road originals.

The copies of 20 murals are on display in Germany for the first time. They include an elaborate reproduction by Chang Shuhong, a forerunner in the protection and research of Dunhuang art.

The exhibition is striking a chord in Germany. Geographer Ferdinand Freiherr von Richthofen was the first to use the name Silk Road to describe the ancient Chinese trade route in 1877. This historical note is sparking interest among Germans towards the exhibition.