The British collection of Dunhuang ancient Tibetan manuscripts. [Photo/WeChat account: srdice]

After over a century, the Dunhuang ancient Tibetan manuscripts that were looted by British and French explorers between 1907 and 1908 have finally returned home in published form.

From 2005 to 2025, Northwest Minzu University and Shanghai Ancient Books Press collaborated respectively with the British Library and the National Library of France. They completed the full compilation and publication of the Tibetan manuscripts held in the two libraries.

The project produced 61 volumes, marking the first time these manuscripts have been fully compiled and published in numbered order.

The Tibetan manuscripts were originally discovered in the Mogao Grottoes in Dunhuang, Gansu province, in 1900. Among over 60,000 precious documents unearthed, there were more than 10,000 ancient Tibetan texts, covering Buddhist scriptures, historical records, contracts, administrative documents, legal texts, divination texts, and letters.

In 2021, the 35-volume French collection was fully published. At the end of 2025, the 26-volume British collection was also completed, bringing all the major Dunhuang ancient Tibetan manuscripts from France and Britain to light.

Director of the Institute for Overseas Ethnic Literature at Northwest Minzu University said that even though the physical items remain overseas, the return of images and knowledge has partly healed the century-old pain of their loss and demonstrated China's cultural confidence.