On March 23 and 24, 2019, Mr. Sun Hongcai, an expert from the Conservation Institute of Dunhuang Academy China and cultural relic photographer, gave a lecture entitled “The Charm of Dunhuang and the Protection of Murals” at Confucius Academy. A total of more than 300 audiences came to the site. In order to more vividly showcase the unfading and invaluable culture and art, Mr. Sun Hongcai also brought 30 digital HD photos of Dunhuang murals to be displayed in Minglun Hall, attracting many audiences for viewing after the lecture.

Dunhuang Grottoes-honored as the most valuable cultural discovery in the 20th century, “Oriental Pearl of Art”, are located in Dunhuang at the western end of Hexi Corridor and are famous for their exquisite murals and statues. In December 1987, the Dunhuang Grottoes in Gansu Province were listed in the World Heritage List. The Dunhuang Grottoes are a treasure for Buddhist art and a specimen of Chinese culture for its thousands of years of history. The guest speaker, Mr. Sun Hongcai, introduced the development history of Dunhuang Grottoes from three aspects: the history, scale and research of Dunhuang Grottoes, taking the four heads of Dunhuang Academy as clues. As for the protection of Dunhuang Grottoes, Mr. Sun told in detail the arduous work of protecting Dunhuang restoration techniques of Grotto Paintings through the story behind the pictures, enabling us to deeply feel that Dunhuang’s cultural relics experts are devoting all their efforts to protect the rich historical and cultural heritage left by China to the world.

Chen, a student in Guizhou University of Finance and Economics, said, “After seeing the work sketches shared by Mr. Sun, we can see that their working environment was very difficult at that time. In particular, it is very admirable that Mr. Sun carried out the restoration of cultural relics at the height of more than 80 meters.”

 

Duan Jiqin, a postgraduate majoring in Civil and Commercial Law at Guizhou University, said: “I always pay more attention to the protection of cultural heritage. This lecture enabled me to gain a lot and helped me understand the development and protection history of Dunhuang Grottoes. I look forward to going to Dunhuang this year and feeling the charm of Dunhuang for its thousands of years of history.”