Year 7 Academic Scholars recently had the privilege of visiting the British Library for an engaging study day centred on the captivating exhibition A Silk Road Oasis: Life in Ancient Dunhuang. The exhibition offers a rare glimpse into the cultural and historical treasures of the ancient Silk Road city, showcasing over 50 manuscripts, printed documents and pictorial works, many from the renowned ‘Library Cave’ at Mogao, which are being displayed publicly for the first time.
The pupils were particularly fortunate to meet with one of the exhibition’s curators, who provided fascinating insights into the development of the exhibition and the meticulous work involved in selecting and interpreting the remarkable artefacts. Pupils were encouraged to consider the historical evidence that supports Dunhuang and Mogao as critical crossroads of civilisations along the Silk Road.
Highlights of the exhibition included The Diamond Sutra (868 AD), the world’s earliest complete printed book with a confirmed date; the Dunhuang star chart (649 to 700), the earliest known manuscript atlas of the night sky; and a copy of The Diamond Sutra written using the scribe’s own blood. Pupils were also amazed by recreations of the languages found in the manuscripts, allowing them to hear how these ancient scripts may have sounded.
The afternoon featured an inspiring Chinese calligraphy workshop led by a specialist teacher. Pupils were captivated as they explored the meanings behind intricate characters and crafted their own beautiful pieces of calligraphy.
Year 7 pupil Hattie G shared her thoughts on the experience:
“On the 30th of January, the Year 7 scholars and friends visited the British Library to explore an exhibition called A Silk Road Oasis, the life in Ancient Dunhuang. Dunhuang is a city in modern China that is still around today. The day started with a brief explanation of the exhibition, and we were fortunate enough to have one of the curators there to really dig deep into it. She explained how the people of Ancient Asia would trade and use Dunhuang as a main checkpoint.
Then, we were lucky enough to see the exhibition itself where we saw everything from an ancient shoe to a 21-metre-long scroll! After seeing the exhibition, we were challenged to think about how Dunhuang and the Mogao caves (where most of the artefacts were found) were closely related.
We also managed to hear how scholars have translated some of the scripts from languages that no one speaks, due to the fact there were audios provided for us to listen to. After a delicious lunch, we got straight back into it as we learnt some Chinese calligraphy.
It was amazing to explore what all the different symbols mean and how they come together to create ornate and unique pieces of art. As the day came to an end, we went back to school with knowledge that we had never known before. Overall, it was an amazing experience and we all really enjoyed it.”
The enriching visit not only broadened the pupils’ understanding of the history and cultural significance of Dunhuang but also ignited their curiosity and passion for learning about ancient civilisations.
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Categories: Academic Senior School