The new publications by Professor Zhao Xiaoxing and Professor Shi Jiangang of the Institute of Cultural Heritage at Northwestern Polytechnical University (NPU), with a focus on cave temple research from the Song, Jin, and Western Xia periods, are introduced as follows:
Mogao Caves: An Art Gallery in the Sands (Chinese-English Bilingual Edition)
Mogao Caves: An Art Gallery in the Sands (Chinese-English Bilingual Edition), newly published in October 2025, is a key publication of the "Dunhuang Cultural and Artistic Works Translation Project" initiated by the China International Communications Group, and is officially published and distributed by Blossom Press. The Chinese edition was first released in 2015 and was awarded "Outstanding Popular Science Book of Gansu Province” in 2016.
The volume is authored by Professor Zhao Xiaoxing from the Institute of Cultural Heritage at NPU. It stands as an excellent achievement reflecting NPU's deep commitment to cultural heritage preservation research and its efforts to promote fine traditional Chinese culture on the international stage. Guided consistently by the "Chief Engineer Education Culture" , the Institute of Cultural Heritage integrates cultural confidence, patriotic devotion, and a profound sense of responsibility for heritage protection into every aspect of education and talent cultivation. The publication of this book not only breathes new life into the millennia-old treasure of the Mogao Caves through its bilingual presentation, but also demonstrates the Institute of Cultural Heritage’s growing role in telling the stories of Dunhuang and conveying China’s voice to the world.
Based on the latest research findings in Dunhuang studies, this book systematically traces the artistic development of the Mogao Caves across more than 1,650 years and eleven historical periods, offers detailed analysis of the forms, painted sculptures, and mural artistry of 35 representative caves, and revises and refines core academic content such as cave dating. Featuring a large-page format and high-fidelity, high-definition plate, the volume vividly presents mural details. The bilingual text balances academic rigor with accessibility, adopting a popular and accessible style suited for international dissemination, this volume presents Dunhuang’s millennia-old artistic treasures to the world and helps the global audience understand Chinese culture.
Time and Seasons of Dunhuang
The Chinese edition of Time and Seasons of Dunhuang was published by Jiangsu Fine Arts Publishing House in 2022 and was selected as one of “China’s Good Books” in 2023. The China International Communications Group included the book as a key work in its “Dunhuang Cultural and Artistic Works Translation Project” and Blossom Press has subsequently released multilingual editions, including Japanese and Russian versions. The Russian edition received the “Outstanding Translation Award” in the 2025 Outstanding International Communication Works selection by the China International Communications Group. The book stands as a representative achievement in in the global dissemination of China’s fine traditional culture.
Compiled by the Dunhuang Academy and edited by Zhao Shengliang, the book also features Professor Zhao Xiaoxing of the NPU Institute of Culture and Heritage as its second author. It brings together cutting-edge research in Dunhuang studies and the achievements of university-based cultural heritage preservation, while deeply integrating cultural confidence, a sense of national responsibility, and the duty to protect heritage into education and research. The book’s publication and multilingual translation have not only brought renewed vitality to Dunhuang’s millennia-old seasonal culture, but also demonstrated NPU’s commitment to telling Dunhuang’s story well and helping China’s voice reach the world.
Guided by the core concepts of “inheritance, humanity, poetics, and everyday life,” the book draws on Dunhuang murals, painted sculptures, and manuscripts from the Library Cave to offer a systematic account of the folk customs, historical evolution, and humanistic wisdom embedded in the Twenty-Four Solar Terms and traditional festivals. It vividly reconstructs the daily life and festive customs of Dunhuang’s people during the medieval period. Integrating Central Plains ritual traditions, Silk Road culture, Buddhism, and folk beliefs belief, the book combines scholarly rigor with accessibility for general readers. Enhanced by high-resolution images of murals and documentary materials, it brings ancient Dunhuang culture vividly to life and helps global readers better understand the richness of outstanding traditional Chinese culture.
Dunhuang: From the Neolithic Age to Today
Dunhuang: From the Neolithic Age to Today is a key title in the “History for Young Readers” series from Arcadia Children’s Books. First published by Bejing Times Chinese Pressin 2022, the book was included as a key project in Blossom Press’s “Dunhuang Translation and International Communication Project” between 2024 and 2026. Chinese-English, Chinese-French, Chinese-Spanish, and other bilingual editions have been released successively. The book is an outstanding illustrated introduction to Dunhuang history for children, created for young readers and for international cultural communication.
Written with great dedication by Professor Zhao Xiaoxing of NPU Institute of Culture and Heritage, the book is a landmark achievement in revitalizing cultural heritage communication and developing high-quality Dunhuang-themed popular history for young readers. Guided by the educational spirit of NPU’s “Chief Engineer Education Culture,” the Institute of Cultural Heritage integrates cultural inheritance, heritage protection, and aesthetic education for youth. Through child-friendly storytelling, the book decodes the civilization of Dunhuang, while its multilingual editions build bridges for cultural exchange among young readers in China and abroad. It fully reflects NPU’s active role and sense of responsibility in the innovative communication and overseas promotion of outstanding traditional Chinese culture.
Structured chronologically, the book traces Dunhuang’s geographical changes, cultural exchanges, and artistic development from the Neolithic Age through the Western and Eastern Han dynasties, the Wei, Jin, Northern and Southern Dynasties, the Sui and Tang dynasties, the Five Dynasties, the Song and Yuan dynasties, the Ming and Qing dynasties, and up to the modern era. By combining rigorously researched historical facts with lively and humorous illustrations, it uses images and storytelling to present Dunhuang’s profound history in a clear, engaging, and accessible way, helping young readers read and understand Dunhuang civilization.
The publication of the book’s multilingual editions effectively fills a gap in illustrated children’s popular science picture books on Dunhuang history for English-, French-, and Spanish-speaking readers. It is of pioneering significance for the international communication of Dunhuang culture among young audiences and brings fresh energy to the global reach of outstanding traditional Chinese culture.
(Translators: Mei Leyun; Li Yiwen; Yang Runze)
