The city of Dunhuang, in north-west China, is situated at a point of vital strategic and logistical importance, on a crossroads of two major trade routes within the Silk Road network. Lying in an oasis at the edge of the Taklamakan Desert, Dunhuang was one of the first trading cities encountered by merchants arriving in China from the west.

Dunhuang, city, western Gansu sheng (province), northwestern China. Situated in an oasis in the Gansu-Xinjiang desert region, it is at the far western limit of traditional Chinese settlement along the Silk Road across Central Asia.

During the Sui (581–618) and Tang (618–907) dynasties, it was the main stop of communication between ancient China and the rest of the world and a major hub of commerce of the Silk Road. Dunhuang was the intersection city of all three main silk …

A Silk Road Oasis: Life in Ancient Dunhuang (27 September 2024 – 23 February 2025) at the British Library features over 50 manuscripts, printed documents and pictorial works, many from the ‘Library Cave’ in the cave complex of Mogao and on public display for the first time.

In Dunhuang, you can see the spectacular Gobi Desert wonders, appreciate the amazing cave art, and discover its profound history of more than 2,000 years. Dunhuang was a place full of stories and legends of the Silk Road and it is famous for its …

Sep 27, 2024 · The exhibition offers an intimate glimpse into civic, creative and religious life in the town of Dunhuang (in present-day northwest China), a vital resting place along the Silk Roads during the first millennium of the Common Era. The exhibition is open until 23 February 2025.

The Dunhuang oasis lies nestled at the edge of the unforgiving Gobi Desert in northwest China - a fertile crescent of land that has served as a vital oasis along the ancient Silk Road for over 2,000 years.

Yumen Pass was one of the most famous passes leading to the north and west from Chinese territory. [2] During the Early Han, "a defensive line was established from Jiuquan ('Wine Springs') in the Gansu Corridor west to the Jade Gate Pass at its end." [3]Travellers to 'The Western Regions' (西域, Xiyu) left China through the famous Yumenguan 玉門關, or 'Jade Gate Frontier-post,' named for ...

Dec 19, 2024 · One of two exhibitions in London devoted to the Silk Road, the British Library’s offering, A Silk Road Oasis: Life in Ancient Dunhuang focuses in on the treasures of one remarkable cave, and the insights they offer into ancient people’s lives.

Dec 12, 2015 · Located near the eastern end of the Silk Road, Dunhuang and its ancient Mogao caves contain an extraordinary number of religious artifacts, shrines, and secular manuscripts. Together they open a window into China’s fascinating history.