[11 January 2005]
Mysteries of the Ancient Art of Dunhuang

Professor Fan Jin Si ( 樊錦詩 ), President of the Dunhuang Institute of Cultural Artifacts Research, will share the mysteries surrounding the ancient art of Dunhuang in the Silk Road and the fascinating history of the Mogao Grottoes as the third guest speaker for the lecture series of the Lien Fung's Colloquium.

Professor Fan is renowned for her accomplishments in preserving and protecting the ancient Mogao Grottoes from natural destruction and human plundering. Dubbed Guardian Angel of Dunhuang, Professor Fan's most painstaking effort is her great devotion in thinking of all ways possible, including methods of science and technology, to preserve Dunhuang for later generations. At the same time, she aims to inculcate the spirit of protecting Dunhuang into the hearts of every man.

Graduated in 1963, she went against her father's wishes to work at the Dunhuang Institute of Cultural Artifacts Research in the harsh Great Northwest. Armed with youthful zeal and ideals, she endured a train journey of over ten hours, traversing several thousand miles to Dunhuang, a place buried deep in the bowels of the Gobi Desert. The allure of Dunhuang, however, captivated and kept her there for 42 years. Today, Professor Fan has been chosen by the China Central Television as one of the luminaries of 2004.

There are two lectures, the first (22 Jan 05) on how the Mogao Grottoes came about when merchants and pilgrims along the Silk Road dug caves to create makeshift shrines to pray for safety, and the second (24 Jan 05) on the splendid art of Dunhuang of which the most famous is the flying Apsaras of the Tang Dynasty, mythical fairies with flowing silk ribbons draped around them. The lectures are open to the public and they are free. For details and registration, please visit SMU's website at www.smu.edu.sg/lfc.