Mogao Caves—A Treasure in the Desert

The Yueya (Crescent Moon) Spring in the Mingsha Mountain in the suburbs of Dunhuang City never dries up. The Mogao Caves lie south of the spring.

Dunhuang Mogao Caves

AS the 20th century approached, a Taoist discovered a cave on the desolate Gobi in Northwest China. Within this cave were hidden more than 40,000 pieces of Buddhist scripture, embroideries, paintings and books on various subjects, such as religion, history,

Digitizing Dunhuang Cultural Heritage:A User Evaluation of Mogao Cave Panorama Digital Library

Purpose: This study is a user evaluation on the usability of the Mogao Cave Panorama Digital Library(DL), aiming to measure its effectiveness from the users' perspective and to propose suggestions for improvement. Design/methodology/approach: Usability tests were conducted based on a framework of evaluation criteria and a set of information seeking tasks designed for the Dunhuang cultural heritage, and interviews were conducted for soliciting in-depth opinions from participants. Findings: The results of the usability tests indicate that the DL was more efficient in supporting simple information seeking tasks than those of higher-complexity levels. Statistical tests reveal that there were correlations among dimensions of usability criteria and user effectiveness measures. Moreover, interview discourses exposed specific usability issues of the DL. Research limitations: This research is based on a relatively small sample size, resulting in a limited representativeness of user diversity. A larger sample size is needed for a systematic cross group comparison.Practical implications: This study evaluated the usability of the Mogao Cave Panorama DL and proposed suggestions for its improvement for better experience. The results also provide a reference to other cultural heritage DLs with panorama functions. Originality/value: This study is one of the first evaluating cultural heritage DLs from the perspective of user experience. It provides methodological references for relevant studies: the evaluation framework, the designed information seeking tasks, and the interview questions can be adopted or adapted in evaluating other visually centric DLs of cultural heritage.

Uncovering the Secrets of a New Archaeological Case at Dunhuang—A Textual Study on the Newly Found Qianzi Wen Written on the South Wall in Mogao Cave 9

This paper investigates a unique and interesting archaeological case,namely the newly found inscription copied from Qianzi Wen(The Thousand Character Essay)on the south wall in the main chamber of Mogao cave 9,and analyzes a series of research topics related to the inscription,hoping to thoroughly reveal the historical and cultural phenomenon of the high popularity and extensive spread of Qianzi Wen in the Tang dynasty,and attempt to restore some living scenes of ancient school students and cave-making artisans.To the best of our knowledge,this is the first time to find Qianzi Wen on the wall in Mogao caves.

Computing for Chinese Cultural Heritage

Implementing computational methods for preservation,inheritance,and promotion of Cultural Heritage(CH)has become a research trend across the world since the 1990s.In China,generations of scholars have dedicated themselves to studying the country’s rich CH resources;there are great potential and opportunities in the field of computational research on specific cultural artefacts or artforms.Based on previous works,this paper proposes a systematic framework for Chinese Cultural Heritage Computing that consists of three conceptual levels which are Chinese CH protection and development strategy,computing process,and computable cultural ecosystem.The computing process includes three modules:(1)data acquisition and processing,(2)digital modeling and database construction,and(3)data application and promotion.The modules demonstrate the computing approaches corresponding to different phases of Chinese CH protection and development,from digital preservation and inheritance to presentation and promotion.The computing results can become the basis for the generation of cultural genes and eventually the formation of computable cultural ecosystem Case studies on the Mogao caves in Dunhuang and the art of Guqin,recognized as world’s important tangible and intangible cultural heritage,are carried out to elaborate the computing process and methods within the framework.With continuous advances in data collection,processing,and display technologies,the framework can provide constructive reference for building up future research roadmaps in Chinese CH computing and related fields,for sustainable protection and development of Chinese CH in the digital age.

The Wild Boar Head Motif among the Paintings in Cave 420 at Dunhuang

This paper focuses on the representation of textile decorations that embellish the garments of Buddha and bodhisattvas in Mogao cave 420.The decorations on the robe of Buddha deserve special attention since they include also isolated wild boar heads within pearl roundel frames.The wild boar head was particularly popular among Buddhists and there is no reason to make any association between this motif and Zoroastrian deities.It could have been just a symbol of kingship that was particularly appreciated by high classes in Central Asia such as in western China and Persia.