Rewriting the Silk Road: a New Chapter for Dunhuang Manuscript Studies

The Dunhuang manuscripts, discovered in 1900 and analyzed over the past century, have revolutionized our understanding of Silk Road networks between the fifth and eleventh centuries. Contrary to the traditional view that Silk Road exchange declined after the An Lushan rebellion, these manuscripts reveal a period of vigorous commercial and cultural interactions. The study focuses on four key aspects: the westward transmission of Chinese textual traditions, particularly Buddhist manuscripts; the eastward spread of multiple religious traditions including Zoroastrianism, Christianity, and Manichaeism; the establishment and operation of Sogdian trading networks; and the maintenance of Silk Road commerce under Tibetan and Guiyi Circuit administration. By drawing on both Chinese and non-Chinese documents from the Dunhuang corpus, this research challenges long-held assumptions about the Silk Road's role as a trade route, demonstrating its significance as a complex network facilitating multi-directional cultural exchange across medieval Eurasia.

Rong, X. (2025). Rewriting the Silk Road: a New Chapter for Dunhuang Manuscript Studies. Journal of Chinese Humanities, 11(1), 4–26. https://doi.org/10.1163/23521341-12340188