Chinese Studies -- Exploring Dunhuang: A Bibliographic Guide to the UHM Library Collection: Home

Dunhuang, located in Gansu Province in northwestern China, was established as one of four frontier garrison towns by Emperor Wu of Han in 111 BCE. The city's name is derived from the Chinese words 敦 "dun," meaning "grand," and 煌 "huang," meaning "splendid."

Historically, Dunhuang was a key military and commercial hub along the Silk Road, serving as a vital communication link between ancient China and the world. From the 4th to the 14th century, numerous Buddhist grottoes were excavated in the region, including the renowned Mogao Caves, the Western Thousand Buddha Caves, and the Yulin Caves. These caves collectively contain over 50,000 square meters of exquisite murals and 2,000 Buddhist statues. However, as trade shifted to southern sea routes, the Silk Road was officially abandoned during the Ming dynasty (1368-1644), leading to Dunhuang’s decline until an outpost was reestablished in 1723.

In 1900, during the late Qing dynasty (1638-1911), a Daoist monk discovered the sealed "Cave Library," containing over 5,000 manuscripts, silk and paper paintings, embroideries, and other treasures. The reason for sealing the cave remains a mystery. This discovery spurred a series of foreign archaeological expeditions in the early 20th century, restoring Dunhuang to its rightful place in China’s cultural history and solidifying its status as a global cultural center.

This bibliography is designed to guide users through the University of Hawaii at Manoa Library's rich resources on the Mogao Caves, a UNESCO World Heritage Site renowned for its vast collection of manuscripts and art. It supports academic research and learning by offering a broad spectrum of materials without restrictions on publication period or language, although the majority of works date from the 1990s to the present. The library’s holdings are predominantly in Chinese and English, with some collections in Japanese as well.

Organized into three main sections—Dunhuang Art, Dunhuang Manuscripts, and Dunhuang Studies, 'Dunhuang Studies' focuses on the evolution and theory of the study, and contains diversity of research based on the manuscripts and art of the Dunhuang grottoes. Each category is further divided into sub-topics or types of materials to aid in navigation and research.

Each entry conforms to the Chicago Manual of Style (16th edition) for bibliographic citations and includes specific location and call number details for convenient library access. The majority of titles are monographs, mostly in print, with some available in ebook format. Future updates may integrate URLs directly linked to bibliographic records in the library’s discovery tool, OneSearch, to facilitate retrieval and physical access.

Additionally, a "Online Resources and Digital Collections" section at the bottom of this page provides free online collections related to Dunhuang, enhancing digital access and supporting diverse research needs.

Special acknowledgment to Dr. Siwei Su for her assistance in compiling the list of titles on Dunhuang art.

敦煌學研究論著目錄資料庫

Compiled based on the print edition of《敦煌學研究論著目錄》by the Center for Chinese Studies, National Central Library in 2000, covering research publications from 1908 to 1997. It contains over 12,000 entries related to Dunhuang studies, including monographs, journal articles, dissertations, conference papers, and newspaper articles.

Dunhuang Studies: Events | Bibliography by Author I Bibliography in Chronological Order  (up to 1997)

Mogao Caves: Historical Periods and Events

Both hosted on the Silk Road Foundation website; researched and contributed by Prof. Ning, Qiang.

International Dunhuang Programme

Formerly the International Dunhuang Project, it provides access to images, information and learning resources about manuscripts, printed materials and other items from sites of the Eastern Silk Roads through its online platform.  It also regularly organize and support academic events, professional exchanges and cultural activities. These are aimed at users of all ages for their research, inspiration and enjoyment.

Digital Dunhuang 

Online platform developed by the Dunhuang Academy, the leading institution in China for Dunhuang studies, education and cultural promotion. It contains 4 databases: Resource Database, Material Library, Digital Sutra Cave, and Research Document Database.

Dunhuang Caves on the Silk Road

The project is a collaborative endeavor involving the Tateuchi East Asia Library (TEAL) at the University of Washington, the Dunhuang Foundation in the U.S., and the Dunhuang Academy in China. It aims to present the splendors of Dunhuang and its cave treasures to an international audience. Key online collections include Virtual Exhibitions, Dunhuang Videos, Extended Readings. 

Exploring the Silk Roads

Guide to the British Museum's Stein Collection, which consists of around 500 paintings, paper items and textiles (complete objects and fragments), 30 woodblock prints and two small wooden figurines.