A common refrain we hear about our student days is that it is only later in life that we realize that history can be fascinating, gripping, even enthralling. Rather than boring dates and names of leaders and battles, history is about how our world has ended up the way it is, whose voices have been privileged, and whose voices can be discovered. In our traditional schema of school subjects, history is strictly part of the humanities and not seen as a science.

Yet we are made of history. Every single one of us in this era is the result of not only our family’s and ancestors’ trajectories, but also a manifestation of an indeterminably complex matrix of causes and conditions spanning the entire planet. These causes and conditions, ranging from the economic to the political and beyond, deserve to be told as stories that can educate, inspire, and remind us. History is made of stories. 

From 27 September 2024–23 February 2025, the British Library in London is holding an exhibition titled A Silk Road Oasis. The press release invites visitors to “step into the ancient town of Dunhuang, a once bustling town on the famous Silk Road, to meet the people who lived, traveled through, worked, and worshipped there.” The Mogao Caves, which represent the pinnacle of rock-cut Buddhist sites of worship and art in China, are also a subject of celebration.

In contrast to past exhibitions, this one is not chronological, divided by culture or civilization, or even thematic. It is built around what curator Mélodie Doumy calls, “An individual-focused approach, contrasting with traditional depictions of Dunhuang and the Silk Roads that emphasize broad historical events.” Under her curatorship, the show has been organized around objects for specific characters or personalities, which allow visitors to connect with the personal stories of those who lived in or passed through the oasis town. 

This is an innovative and creative approach that has not been done before in Dunhuang-related exhibits in the UK, or even in Asia or the US. In media such as podcasts and streaming platforms, many of the popular history-themed channels also try to tell stories, going beyond merely contextualizing the issues or people. The manuscripts in each individual section hence embody a certain personality or character that would have actually used the displayed items, which is quite extraordinary and relatable. The character-curated sections are:

“The Cave” (in reference to Cave 17, or the Library Cave),
“The Merchant”
“The Diplomat”
“The Fortune-teller”
“The Lay Buddhist”
“The Buddhist Nun”
“The Scribe”
“The Printer”
“The Artist”

This list is emblematic of the diversity of lives, professions, and interests that populated the oasis town, and demonstrates that the multiculturalism of Dunhuang is not a modern imposition on the ancient culture. As Doumy notes: “The manuscripts, written in Chinese, Tibetan, Sanskrit, Khotanese, Sogdian, Old Uyghur, and Old Turkic, reflect the area’s diversity, shaped by its history of being ruled by various empires and inhabited by a melting pot of people. A particularly striking example is the rubbing of the Stele of Sulaiman, where the mantra of Avalokitesvara is carved in six different scripts.” 

This exhibition is one of an ongoing lineup of British Library events that have showcased the aesthetic beauty and historical, cultural, and spiritual significance of manuscript texts. It is fitting that Dunhuang is a high priority for the British Library, given its historical relationship with the site. As indicated, the show acknowledges the institution’s debt to Cave 17, which was critical to how scholars around the world today understand the history and richness of Dunhuang.

The world’s earliest star map (dated to 650–700 CE) was discovered at Dunhuang. Doumy says it is an “extraordinary document consisting of 12 maps that represent the sky in 30-degree sections from east to west, aligned with the months of the Chinese lunar year.” An additional document, a 13th map, illustrates the north-circumpolar region, which includes stars visible throughout the year. “As the earliest known celestial atlas from any civilization, this star chart provides crucial evidence of the cultural significance and sophistication of astronomy in the Tang dynasty (618–907 CE),” says Doumy.

This stunningly diverse and beautiful range of items each hold stories that will likely remain forever unrevealed to the contemporary viewer. Yet through combining academic rigor, imagination, and creativity, the British Library’s A Silk Road Oasis enlivens the story of Buddhism’s most famous oasis town by actually telling the stories of its inhabitants, many of whom existed on record. The exhibition’s run pays homage to this year’s 30th anniversary for the International Dunhuang Programme. Doumy highlights the International Dunhuang Programme as “a pioneering global partnership that brings together online collections from the Eastern Silk Roads across over 35 institutions.” One of the International Dunhuang Programme’s key partners, the Dunhuang Academy at Mogao, China, provided many of the stunning images featured in the gallery. “This helps us to visually connect the exhibition to the Mogao Caves and the broader region of Dunhuang.”

Despite Dunhuang’s incredibly rich history, it was but one oasis town along the complex network of silk routes, and the Silk Road itself was only one component of the vast and ancient history of Eurasian cultural exchange. This exchange, which reaches far back into antiquity, to the Scythians and deeper into the time of the cradles of civilization, has shaped not just how the world is today, but also how we understand the world as it is now.

To transmit the wisdom of history in a way that attracts more disciples is to help people understand themselves. To help people understand themselves is to help them cultivate self-awareness. To abide in awareness of one’s conditioned, historical finality is to be humbled and enlightened.

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International Dunhuang Programme

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