London Reading Club Books of the month
Dunhuang: A Grand History
This is a popular history book on Dunhuang's rich cultural heritage, written for the general reader. It is both a history of Dunhuang and, in many ways, a partial history of China itself. It is a history that begins in the caves of Dunhuang, yet extends across the broader scope of Chinese civilization. The author follows a chronological narrative, introducing key historical figures and stories related to Dunhuang across different eras, while incorporating the latest scholarly findings. Since the 20th century, Dunhuang studies have emerged as one of the most significant academic movements, reshaping the development of numerous disciplines. However, the frontier of academic research has remained largely inaccessible to the public—until now. This book finally brings that knowledge to a wider audience in an engaging and accessible way.
Written by Xing Yaolong — a post-90s scholar and frontline guardian of the Dunhuang grottoes —Dunhuang: A Grand History offers a fresh, youthful perspective on this ancient cultural crossroads. With a dynamic writing style and a newly structured body of knowledge, the book explores Dunhuang from multiple dimensions: population shifts, geography, military strategy, politics, economy, ideology, and art. Through this lens, it vividly presents a rich and multidimensional Dunhuang—one shaped by waves of migration, dynastic changes, religious transformations, and artistic evolution.
Author Bio:
Xing Yaolong is a scholar of Dunhuang studies, a historian, and a poet. A contemporary migrant to Dunhuang, he has spent many years as a caretaker at the Yulin Grottoes. He currently serves as a young scholar at the Chinese Dunhuang-Turpan Society and as an advisor to the Leshan Art Museum in Sichuan Province.
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