MADISON BUTCHKO details the historical context of the Dunhuang Library Cave and its hidden artworks in this two-parter series. In part 1, Madison Butchko writes about the discovery of the cave, its historical connection with its patron and the region, and theories about the original purpose of the cave.
The Mogao Caves, located in Dunhuang, China, form one of the most significant cultural and historical treasures along the ancient Silk Road. Among the 492 grottoes, Cave 17, known as the Library Cave, stands out due to its remarkable collection of manuscripts, artifacts, textiles, and religious paintings, many of which date back over a thousand years. These caves, carved into the cliffs of the Gobi Desert, served as an essential hub for the preservation of religious, commercial, and cultural exchanges that occurred from the fourth to the fourteenth centuries. As a crucial point along the Silk Road, the Mogao Caves provide an extraordinary record of the diverse cultures, beliefs, and ideas that converged in this region, especially through the materials stored in Cave 17.
Cave 17, which was sealed and hidden for centuries, contains a vast archive of manuscripts written in over 20 languages, reflecting the multicultural and multilingual nature of the Silk Road. These manuscripts, primarily Buddhist, but also secular in content, date beteen the third and tenth centuries and offer unique insights into the spiritual and intellectual life of the time. The cave’s discovery in 1900 by a Taoist monk, Wang Yuanlu, followed by explorations from Western scholars, notably Marc Aurel Stein, brought global attention to the treasure trove within. Today, the manuscripts from Cave 17 have become key sources for understanding the religious, cultural, and economic exchanges that shaped Asia’s history during this period.
The story of Cave 17 goes beyond its manuscripts, as it is also tied to the legacy of religious figures like Hong Bian, a prominent Buddhist monk whose statue sits at the entrance to the cave. The role of Cave 17 as a place of religious veneration, as well as a chamber for storing sacred texts and offerings, connects it to broader Buddhist traditions. The reasons for its sealing, while still debated by scholars, further enrich the mystery surrounding its purpose and preservation. By examining the cultural, religious, and historical significance of the materials found within Cave 17, we gain a deeper appreciation of the Mogao Caves as not just a physical space, but as a symbol of enduring knowledge and cross-cultural interaction.
Beginning in 366 CE, Buddhist monks maintained, inhabited, and oversaw the caves. After Mongol invasions in China, the Chinese withdrew resources and personnel from the area. Consequently, the Mogao Caves were forgotten and hidden, buried by the sand of the Gobi Desert which blocked the entrances to the caves. Out of the 492 caves, Cave 17 is an enigma because it is essentially a sealed chamber with its entrance covered by a wall painting, which is a part of Cave 16. The caves remained concealed by the desert and remote location of Dunhuang until the first Western expedition to the area in 1876. It would still be about 25 years before the Mogao Caves’ magnificent and extensive archives would then be fully uncovered.
On June 25, 1900, a Taoist monk named Wang Yuanlu (王圆箓) accidentally discovered the sealed Library Cave after “a workman noticed a crack in the wall of Cave 16.” Wang Yuanlu, a Daoist abbot from Shangxi province, came to Dunhuang with the mission of protecting and restoring the caves. He became monumental (and controversial) for the discovery of Cave 17, and for being the sole caretaker of the Dunhuang cave artifacts for decades.
Later, in 1907, Marc Aurel Stein, a renowned British-Hungarian archaeologist and explorer, embarked on his first expedition to Dunhuang, drawn by the Mogao Caves’ reputation as a repository of extraordinary cultural treasures and ancient archives. Stein had long been fascinated by the Silk Road’s role in facilitating exchanges between East and West, and he saw the Mogao Caves, particularly the recently discovered Cave 17, as a unique window into this pivotal period of history. His journey to Dunhuang would mark the beginning of a transformative series of explorations that introduced the Mogao Caves to the Western world and forever altered the field of archaeology.
Upon arriving at the caves, Stein met with Wang Yuanlu, the Taoist monk who had discovered Cave 17 and assumed the role of its guardian. After delicate negotiations, Stein was able to secure a significant collection of manuscripts, silk paintings, and other priceless artifacts from the caves. These items, many of which were in a fragile state after centuries of neglect, included Buddhist texts, historical documents, and exquisite artworks that spanned multiple centuries and cultures. Stein’s acquisitions, while pivotal in advancing global understanding of the Silk Road’s cultural impact, have been the subject of ongoing debate due to the ethical questions surrounding the removal of these treasures from China. Many of the works Stein collected are now housed in institutions like the British Museum and the British Library, where they remain essential to the study of Asian history and culture.
Stein’s 1907 expedition was followed by three more visits to Dunhuang, during which he continued to document, preserve, and collect artifacts from the Mogao Caves. His efforts were instrumental in bringing international attention to the caves, which had remained largely unknown in the West. By meticulously cataloging and preserving these treasures, Stein helped unlock the historical significance of Cave 17, revealing its invaluable contributions to the religious, cultural, and intellectual life of the Silk Road. Though his methods have been critiqued, Stein’s expeditions laid the foundation for much of what is known today about the Mogao Caves and their role in the cultural exchanges that shaped the ancient world.
After taking away part of the mural in Cave 16, the entrance to Cave 17 is revealed along with the stucco statue of Hong Bian (洪辯), which sits in line with the doorway. Created as a real-life depiction of Hong Bian’s appearance, his statue is dressed in flowing “patched robes and is placed on a low painted platform.” Monk portraits like Hong Bian’s were once very common in China, but now are rarely to be found except in Japan. From the ninth century, Hong Bian was one of the chief monks residing in the Hexi area west of the Yellow River. Hong Bian was also known to be one of the highest-ranking religious officials in his area, exerting a political influence as well.
The commissioning of Hong Bian’s statue sheds light on the broader practice of creating honorary statues in ancient China, especially in the context of religious and political power. Statues of esteemed monks like Hong Bian were not merely religious symbols but also served as tangible representations of their influence, both spiritual and political. In the case of Hong Bian, his high standing in the Buddhist community was amplified by his close relationship with the aristocratic Zhang family, who ruled the Dunhuang region during the ninth century. The Zhang family’s active support of Buddhist institutions was part of a larger effort to align themselves with the religious values that resonated with the local population, while also solidifying their political authority through patronage of key religious figures. The financial support from the Zhangs allowed them to build, maintain, and expand religious sites, and it also afforded monks like Hong a significant degree of political sway. This support often translated into monks holding considerable authority, not just within their religious communities, but also in the wider governance of the region. In return, these monks legitimized the rulers by endorsing them in religious terms, effectively creating a symbiotic relationship where spiritual authority reinforced political power, and vice versa.
Cave 17 is thought to have originally served as a portrait hall for Hong Bian. One theory by scholar Wen Zhengyi hypothesized that Cave 17 was originally “the meditation hall of Hong Bian during his lifetime, and served as the location of his portrait hall following his death.” With the hall acting as a place of honor and memorial shrine after Hong Bian’s passing, there were offerings and mainly sutras found inside his statue deposited inside of the cavity. The practice of placing sutras inside a Buddha statue or pagoda is referred to as “consecration deposits.”
In part 2, we will dive deeper into the artworks within the library cave and analyze its connections with the Buddhist faith. Stay tuned!
Madison Butchko is a senior at Yale University pursuing a B.S. in Physics and a B.A. in East Asian Studies with a concentration on China. Her research spans topics from Asian American representation in media to examining China’s social issues within its cultural and historical contexts. Originally adopted from China, her personal connection to the country sparked her academic interest, which deepened after briefly serving in the Air Force, where she became intrigued by the geopolitical landscape. Fluent in Chinese and currently learning Japanese, she continues to explore international relations and cultural dynamics in East Asia.
Madison Butchko