For the first time, 165 pieces (sets) of cultural relics from the Bingling Temple Grottoes in Gansu were unveiled in Lanzhou

China News Service, Lanzhou, November 7 (Reporter Wang Muyu) "Thousands of Danxia Shrines and Colorful Chapters - Bingling Temple Grottoes Exhibition" was launched at the Gansu Bamboo Slip Museum on the 7th. This is the first large-scale and systematic external exhibition since the establishment of the Bingling Temple Cultural Relics Conservation Research Institute. The exhibition period is until February 7, 2027.

The Bingling Temple Grottoes are the earliest Buddhist cave temples along the Silk Road from the Central Plains to the Hexi Corridor. They were first excavated in the 4th century AD and have a history of more than 1,600 years. They are an important node between the Silk Road and the ancient Tang-Tibet Road, where many ethnic groups interacted, exchanged and blended. A large number of sculptures and murals are preserved in the grottoes, which are rich in content and have a wide range of themes. They are one of the heritage sites of the world cultural heritage "Silk Road: Road Network of Chang'an-Tianshan Corridor".

The exhibition is divided into five units: "Mountains and rivers converge, civilization begins", "Sanskrit spreads eastward and Tang Dynasty is first encountered", "Dharma changes, Chinese style continues", "Han-Tibet unity, diversity and harmony", "Protecting treasures for the country and passing on the fire". A total of 165 exhibits (sets) are on display, covering pottery, statues, murals, documents, inscriptions, scriptures, etc., two-thirds of which are on display for the first time.

"The exhibition presents several major characteristics and diverse factors of Bingling Temple to everyone in a more complete and three-dimensional manner." Zhang Ming, director of the Bingling Temple Cultural Relics Protection Research Institute, said in an interview with a reporter from China News Service that he hopes that the audience will follow the exhibition to see the grotto itself by the Yellow River.

Chen Zhigang, the exhibition designer and associate professor at the Shanghai Academy of Fine Arts of Shanghai University, said that this exhibition is mainly based on physical cultural relics, supplemented by digital, immersive cinema, and VR experiences. There is also a "Thousand Buddha Wall" where small paintings drawn by the audience can be magnetically attached to the wall and will be completed by the audience during the exhibition period.

In the exhibition, the 3D printed replica of "Two Buddhas Sitting Side by Side" in Cave 125 of the Bingling Temple Grottoes attracted many viewers. The light on top of the exhibit moves slowly from east to west, simulating the light of a day. "The beauty of sculpture lies in the light and the lines." Zhang Ming said that at different times, the light, shade and expression of the Buddha's face are different.

According to Zhang Ming, in recent years, Bingling Temple's cultural relics protection work has shifted from rescue to rescue and prevention, and is currently promoting the reinforcement of dangerous rocks and water seepage control. In the future, it is planned to conduct domestic tour exhibitions in 3 to 5 years, and promote exhibitions in Hong Kong, Macao, Taiwan and abroad, so that more people can understand this world cultural heritage.