A Silk Road Oasis: Life in Ancient Dunhuang
Location
British Library
96 Euston Road
London
NW1 2DB
Description
This exhibition runs from Monday 30th September 2024 to Sunday 23rd February 2025.
The oasis of Dunhuang, at the edge of the Gobi Desert, was once a bustling town on the famous Silk Road connecting China and the Mediterranean. Discover the personal stories of those who lived, travelled through, worked, and worshipped here more than 1,000 years ago. Explore an astonishing time capsule that opens windows onto the intimate worlds of artists and scribes, merchants and fortune-tellers, diplomats, Buddhists and nuns.
Named “Blazing Beacon” after the watchtowers along its walls, Dunhuang was once a vital meeting point at the gateway to China. The routes that converged here ran through Constantinople in the West and Japan in the East. But there was more to this verdant oasis than trade. For over 1000 years, Dunhuang was also an important pilgrimage site, a cultural melting pot where ideas, technologies and art flowed freely.
This exhibition provides a rare glimpse into the ordinary lives of people long ago through the remarkable contents of the Library Cave, part of the Buddhist cave complex of Mogao, where a wealth of manuscripts, documents and artworks remained sealed for nearly 900 years. Detailing life in and around Dunhuang during the first millennium CE, the documents include personal letters and wills encompassing multiple languages, faiths and cultures including Buddhism, Zoroastrianism, Manichaeism and Christianity; and span topics as diverse as literature, astronomy, medicine, politics and art.
Prices
Contact and Booking Details
More information at this website.
Reserve tickets at this website
Upcoming Dates
This exhibition runs from Monday 30th September 2024 to Sunday 23rd February 2025.
Forthcoming dates:
Disclaimer
The information and prices in this listing are presumed to be correct at the time of publishing, but please always check with the venue before making a special trip.
All images are supplied by the exhibition organiser.
British Library
96 Euston Road
London
NW1 2DB
This exhibition runs from Monday 30th September 2024 to Sunday 23rd February 2025.
This event runs over several days/weeks. Dates include:
September 2024
- Mon 30th Sep 2024
(9:30am to 4:30pm)
October 2024
- Tue 1st Oct 2024
(9:30am to 4:30pm) - Wed 2nd Oct 2024
(9:30am to 4:30pm) - Thu 3rd Oct 2024
(9:30am to 4:30pm) - Fri 4th Oct 2024
(9:30am to 4:30pm) - Sat 5th Oct 2024
(9:30am to 4:30pm) - Sun 6th Oct 2024
(9:30am to 4:30pm) - Mon 7th Oct 2024
(9:30am to 4:30pm) - Tue 8th Oct 2024
(9:30am to 4:30pm) - Wed 9th Oct 2024
(9:30am to 4:30pm) - Thu 10th Oct 2024
(9:30am to 4:30pm) - Fri 11th Oct 2024
(9:30am to 4:30pm) - Sat 12th Oct 2024
(9:30am to 4:30pm) - Sun 13th Oct 2024
(9:30am to 4:30pm) - Mon 14th Oct 2024
(9:30am to 4:30pm) - Tue 15th Oct 2024
(9:30am to 4:30pm) - Wed 16th Oct 2024
(9:30am to 4:30pm) - Thu 17th Oct 2024
(9:30am to 4:30pm) - Fri 18th Oct 2024
(9:30am to 4:30pm) - Sat 19th Oct 2024
(9:30am to 4:30pm) - Sun 20th Oct 2024
(9:30am to 4:30pm) - Mon 21st Oct 2024
(9:30am to 4:30pm) - Tue 22nd Oct 2024
(9:30am to 4:30pm) - Wed 23rd Oct 2024
(9:30am to 4:30pm) - Thu 24th Oct 2024
(9:30am to 4:30pm) - Fri 25th Oct 2024
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(9:30am to 4:30pm) - Mon 28th Oct 2024
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(9:30am to 4:30pm) - Wed 30th Oct 2024
(9:30am to 4:30pm) - Thu 31st Oct 2024
(9:30am to 4:30pm)
November 2024
- Fri 1st Nov 2024
(9:30am to 4:30pm) - Sat 2nd Nov 2024
(9:30am to 4:30pm) - Sun 3rd Nov 2024
(9:30am to 4:30pm) - Mon 4th Nov 2024
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(9:30am to 4:30pm) - Sat 9th Nov 2024
(9:30am to 4:30pm) - Sun 10th Nov 2024
(9:30am to 4:30pm) - Mon 11th Nov 2024
(9:30am to 4:30pm) - Tue 12th Nov 2024
(9:30am to 4:30pm) - Wed 13th Nov 2024
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(9:30am to 4:30pm)
December 2024
- Sun 1st Dec 2024
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Closed - Thu 26th Dec 2024
Closed - Fri 27th Dec 2024
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(9:30am to 4:30pm) - Mon 30th Dec 2024
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January 2025
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February 2025
- Sat 1st Feb 2025
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