In April, BIDS welcomed Dr. Tianxiu Yu, Vice President of the Dunhuang Academy, and Dr. Yanpeng Song, Director of the Academy’s Information Center, for a special seminar exploring how large-scale digitization is preserving one of the world’s most significant cultural sites: the Mogao Caves in Dunhuang, China. The seminar was moderated by Dr. Peter Zhou, another member of the Dunhuang team and retired Director of UC Berkeley’s East Asian Library, and focused on how advanced data technologies are being used to protect a 1,600-year-old treasure trove of Buddhist art and architecture.
At the heart of this work is the understanding that the Mogao Caves are far more than a physical site. They stand as a living testament to human civilization, accompanied by a rich historical archive from a stone cave that has drawn global academic attention for over a century. Created more than a thousand years ago, the murals and sculptures in these caves vividly portray centuries of spiritual devotion, everyday life, cultural exchange, and artistic innovation along the ancient Silk Road in China. They embody a magnificent ancient art, vividly illustrating Buddhist beliefs, spiritual aspirations, and ways of life—not through textbooks, but through color, gesture, and ritual. Preserving them is not merely about safeguarding the past; it is about reviving some of the richest expressions of human creativity the world has ever known.
Photo: The Dunhuang Academy’s digitization team stands in front of Cave 96 at the Mogao Grottoes.
The well-attended seminar drew a diverse audience, in person and remotely, bringing together data scientists, library scholars, art historians, and curious students. The Dunhuang team highlighted decades of work capturing the Mogao Caves in extraordinary digital detail, from high-resolution mural photography to 3D models of sculptures and entire cave complexes. Throughout the seminar, attendees viewed stunning images and demos showcasing mural textures, towering sculptures, and digital cave reconstructions.
Photo: Painted sculptures residing in the caves.
Their digital preservation strategy now includes immersive experiences such as virtual tours, AR/VR storytelling, and even educational tools powered by artificial intelligence.
Image: A mobile app lets users design custom scarves using motifs from Dunhuang murals.
The Q&A session offered a rare opportunity for attendees to engage directly with the Dunhuang team on emerging challenges and ideas. Questions touched on AI ethics, the preservation of massive datasets, and the potential of pose detection in Buddhist art. One attendee, who had previously volunteered at the site, shared their personal experience in Dunhuang and asked how AI might uncover cultural patterns across time. Their story echoed a common theme in the room: The digitization project of Mogao Caves represents a remarkable convergence of historical treasures, artistic heritage, and modern technology. One attendee shared how the murals had shaped their early art education, highlighting Dunhuang’s far-reaching cultural influence beyond China. These personal reflections underscored the lasting significance of the Mogao Caves and the global resonance of their digital preservation.
These conversations also opened a more candid look into the Academy’s evolving strategies. The team described complex technical hurdles: working in tight, low-lit caves, stitching tens of thousands of high-resolution images (sometimes up to 16GB each), and designing long-term digital preservation systems that can withstand technological change. Their solutions involve not only technical innovation, but a strong commitment to openness and shared progress. “We are very open,” said Dr. Yu. “We have no restrictions on letting other institutions use our technology.” He added that the purpose of visiting BIDS was to explore opportunities for collaboration and partnership with UC Berkeley scholars and data scientists across the campus to support the Digital Dunhuang initiative.
Image: Outline of Dunhuang Academy’s end-to-end digitization process: from planning to storage.
Image: Digital tools help monitor mural damage, simulate environmental conditions, and model lighting.
One of the most exciting updates: the recent launch of the Digital Library Cave, which reunites dispersed manuscripts from Cave 17 in Asia, Europe and North America into a fully reconstructed digital archive. With over 47 million visits to the Digital Dunhuang Portal since its launch, the global demand for access to this cultural heritage continues to grow. These conversations underscore how emerging technologies and academic collaboration can work hand-in-hand to support cultural preservation at global scale. Dr. Yu emphasizes that digitization, a key milestone, is the way to keep the past alive for future generations. It not only saves history but also makes it accessible.
Dr. Zhou, who has worked with the Dunhuang Academy for over a decade, emphasized the importance of international partnership. The work of digitalization reflects the power of long-term collaboration as it combines scholarship, data, and technology to protect our shared human story.
Photo: Dr. Peter Zhou moderates the Q&A with Dr. Tianxiu Yu.
As BIDS continues to support data-driven cultural analytics and cross-disciplinary research, the Dunhuang Academy’s visit underscores how digital preservation can serve the public good by safeguarding cultural heritage and making it openly accessible to people of all ages, languages, and locations.
The Digital Dunhuang seminar was more than a presentation, it was an invitation. As the Dunhuang Academy shared not only their technological milestones but also their in-progress ideas and open challenges, it became clear that this work thrives on collaboration. From students in the audience to faculty across disciplines, attendees were encouraged to imagine how their expertise might contribute to this ongoing effort to preserve cultural heritage through data.
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