Discoveries at Dunhuang

Dunhuang Discovered is not a simple record of exploration but a witness to the complex intertwining of Oriental studies, archaeology, and colonial history in the early twentieth century. This Chinese translation published by The Commercial Press is compiled from Stein's original report Serindia, and its value far exceeds that of an ordinary travelogue. In the editor's view, the book's core value lies in two dimensions. First, as a historical document, it meticulously records the original state and contents of a large number of precious manuscripts and silk paintings at the moment the Dunhuang library cave was first opened, and many details provide irreplaceable primary sources for later research. Second, as a textual specimen of an "act of its era," Stein's narrative logic, his attitude toward local people, and his descriptions of how antiquities were acquired are all deeply marked by the intellectual superiority and colonial perspective of Western explorers of that time. When reading, readers should maintain a clear historical-critical awareness, drawing information from the archaeological discoveries while seeing through the text to consider the power relations and cultural discursive authority behind the outflow of antiquities. The translation is rigorous and includes necessary annotations, helping readers understand the process of discovery while grasping its place in scholarly history. It is more like a prism, reflecting the splendor of the Dunhuang treasures and also refracting the tortuous and painful light of modern China's academic history.