A seminar on the construction of a digital intelligence laboratory for Dunhuang studies was held on July 18 in Lanzhou, Gansu province. The new lab is expected to strengthen academic research through the use of digital technologies.

Dunhuang studies originated in the early 20th century after tens of thousands of manuscripts were discovered in the Mogao Grottoes' Library Cave. Over more than a century of continuous research by scholars from multiple countries, the field has become an internationally renowned discipline.

The lab will leverage platforms such as "Digital Dunhuang" and the "Digital Library for Dunhuang Studies", utilizing artificial intelligence, big data, and virtual reality technologies. Its research will focus on Dunhuang culture, Dunhuang studies, and the digital restoration of Dunhuang cultural relics scattered overseas.

According to Cheng Liang, Party secretary of the Dunhuang Academy, the lab marks a new phase for Dunhuang studies driven by digital intelligence, technological innovation, and multidisciplinary integration.

Bai Jian, a staff member of the Gansu Provincial Cultural Relics Bureau, said that the lab aims to enhance conservation and innovation, producing not only academic papers and monographs but also contributing to cultural dissemination and public services.

The Dunhuang Academy began its digital documentation work in the 1980s. Achievements to date have been applied in cave conservation, scholarly research, and cultural product development.