When the solemn imperial palace encounters vigor and exotic art, the special effect generated is beyond imagination. An exhibition named "Beyond the Bounds of History" has mounted at the Palace Museum in Beijing from September 17 to November 18, which showcases the everlasting beauty of Dunhuang, a major stop along the ancient Silk Road in northwest China's Gansu Province.

The collaborative exhibition between the Palace Museum and Dunhuang Academy displays 188 pieces of cultural relics from the Gansu Province and the Palace Museum, as well as hand-painted reproductions of Dunhuang murals, high-fidelity digital reproductions of murals, and replicas of caves 285, 220, and 320, etc.

Lying at the edge of the Taklamakan Desert, Dunhuang is located at a cultural and religious crossroads on the ancient Silk Road. Some twenty-five kilometers southeast of Dunhuang, hundreds of caves are hewn into a cliff lavishly decorated with wall paintings and sculptural works.

The Mogao Grottoes, also known as the Qianfodong (Caves of the Thousand Buddhas), boast a rich trove of Buddhist artworks, including more than 2,000 sculptures and 45,000 square meters of murals that span a thousand years and contain a wide range of iconography such as Chinese deities and Hindu gods.

These Buddhist artworks show a striking cultural diversity in the caves. The characters in the murals with their different clothing styles also reflect the busy cultural exchanges that took place in Dunhuang.

"Dunhuang is not only a splendid treasure of ancient Chinese civilization but also an important witness to the frequent cultural integration and mutual learning among the diverse civilizations on the ancient Silk Road," said Shi Mingxiu, the curator of Dunhuang Museum. "The multiculturalism is testament to Dunhuang's past, which benefited both China and the rest of the world."

This is also the reason why the guardians of culture like the Palace Museum and Dunhuang Research Academy, as well as countless experts and artists, have spared no effort to protect, preserve, and promote the art of Dunhuang, hoping to make sure that the millennium-old art can live on.

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