With broad murals and digital technology, a cultural exhibition in Singapore is presenting visitors with the ancient artistic wonders of Dunhuang, a city in northwest China's Gansu Province that is home to the vast collection of Buddhist artworks in the Mogao Grottoes.
Titled "Dunhuang is No Longer Far Away, Singapore Steps into the Digital Dunhuang Exhibition", the event transports visitors to the city that was once a key pass along the ancient Silk Road. Today, its grotto caves are listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
The digital Dunhuang exhibition is the result of over 30 years of exploration and development by the Dunhuang Academy, which integrates elements of history, art, and technology.
The exhibition showcases classic replicas of Dunhuang caves and high-fidelity reproductions of murals, restoring the unique charm of Dunhuang's painted sculptures, and visitors can take an immersive tour of the Library Cave and other sites in Dunhuang using multimedia and VR technology.
Organizers from the Dunhuang Academy said they hope the exhibition serves as a cross-cultural conversation starter. "Exchanges and mutual learning are the most common channel through which cultures can continue to be passed on and developed. Only in the process of exchanges can we make it further, on the one hand, absorb the strength of each other, on the other hand, spread the excellence of our traditional culture," said Wang Jiandang, deputy director of the academy.
The digital exhibition is open to the public for free from Sept 30 to Nov 30. On the opening day, a large number of visitors were drawn in by event's novel approach, and many left deeply impressed.
"I think it's very fantastic, because not everyone can actually fly into Dunhuang to actually experience it. Especially, I just went through the VR experience, I just feel that I'm there itself, in the cultural experience. I think it's really a very special experience for me," said Carine Low, a local resident.
Singaporeans take digital dive into China's Dunhuang caves to view ancient art
Singaporeans take digital dive into China's Dunhuang caves to view ancient art
