Seventeen thousand Chinese manuscripts and a dozen printed books - the Dunhuang collection in London

In 1900, tens of thousands of documents dating from the 4th to the 10th century were discovered by chance in a small cave near Dunhuang in China’s Gansu province. 

The discovery provoked a race between foreign archaeologist/explorers in the first decades of the 20th century and opened up a field of study that remains current. Though the documents were 90% Buddhist and many written in Chinese, they included many in Tibetan, reflecting the power of the Tibetan empire in the area in the 9th century, and many in other scripts such as Sogdian. 

They also reflected the extraordinary mix of religions that moved along the trade routes: Buddhism, Nestorian Christianity, Manichaeism, Zoroastrianism, and Judaism. Trade documents, tax documents, and fragments of the imperial census were all piled together for reasons not yet finally determined.

This fascinating topic will be explored in depth by Dr. Frances Wood, a renowned sinologist and former curator of the Chinese collections at the British Library. Dr. Wood will delve into the historical significance of the Dunhuang manuscripts, shedding light on their impact on our understanding of ancient trade routes, religious diversity, and cultural exchanges. The event will be chaired by Dr. Lars Laamann, lecturer at department of history and Centre of world Christianity, who will guide the discussion and facilitate a Q&A session with the audience.

Join us for an enlightening evening as we journey through the rich tapestry of history woven by these ancient documents and uncover the stories they hold.

This event is free of charge but registration is required

About the speakers

Frances Wood worked as a library assistant in the Chinese section of SOAS Library from 1972 to 1977 when she moved to the British Library and looked after the Chinese section until retirement. Most activity during that time was devoted to raising money for the conservation and cataloguing of some 7000 Chinese manuscripts from Dunhuang and supporting the Chinese conservators and scholars who carried out the work. 

She has written a number of books on Chinese cultural history including The Silk Road: 2000 years in the heart of Asia (2002) and, with Mark Barnard, The Diamond Sutra: the story of the world's earliest dated printed book (2010). 

Lars Peter Laamann is Senior Lecturer at the School of Oriental & African Studies, University of London. His research interests include popular religions (incl. Christianity) during the Qing period and in Republican China, the history of medicine and drugs in modern China and the language, culture and history of the Manchus in Qing China. 

This event is in collaboration with the Meridian Society and SOAS Library