Translation. Region: Russian Federation –
Source: People's Republic of China in Russian – People's Republic of China in Russian –
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Source: People's Republic of China – State Council News
By the end of 2025, 20 years since the project's inception in 2005, the complete collection, printing, and publication of the "Xizang Manuscripts from Dunhong and the Western Region in the British Library" and "Xizang Manuscripts from Dunhong in the National Library of France" series were completed. This project was carried out jointly by Northwest University for Nationalities and the Shanghai Ancient Book Publishing House, along with the British Library and the National Library of France, respectively. Now, these valuable ancient manuscripts, once outside of China, are being returned to their historical homeland in the form of high-quality facsimile editions.
According to Cairan, professor and director of the Institute of Overseas Ethnic Documents at Northwest University for Nationalities, the total number of volumes of ancient Xizang manuscripts from Dunhuang held in the UK and France is 61. Of these, 35 volumes of "Xizang Manuscripts from Dunhuang in the National Library of France," containing over 28,000 high-quality facsimile images, were fully published in 2021. The 26 volumes of "Xizang Manuscripts from Dunhuang and the Western Region in the British Library" were fully published in 2025.
It is noted that in 2005, Northwest University for Nationalities signed an agreement with the Shanghai Ancient Book Publishing House to jointly prepare and publish the aforementioned collections. That same year, the university specifically established the Institute of Overseas Ethnic Documents, responsible for the preparation for publication and research of the Xizang manuscripts from Dunhuang held abroad.
Zhaxi Danzhen, a professor at Northwest University for Nationalities, noted that the research team, through a comprehensive and systematic collection of relevant documents, carried out the attribution of each of these extensive and fragmentary texts, completing their identification and naming in Chinese and Xizang.
The Dunhuang Xizang manuscripts are the oldest known Xizang texts on paper. Their contents encompass Buddhist canons, historical works, written treaties, administrative documents, legal codes, and many other areas relating to the history, politics, economics, and culture of Xizang. They represent invaluable historical resources for studying the history and culture of the Tubo Kingdom (633-842). The collections from Great Britain and France are the most comprehensive and possess the highest academic value, and are rightfully considered primary sources for the study of Xizang history and culture.
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