Seminar explores Dunhuang culture

A parallel session of the World Congress of Philosophy was held on Wednesday in Beijing, with experts discussing cross-cultural communication in relation to Dunhuang, an important ancient town of the Silk Road.

"Dunhuang: Meeting Point of Cultural Exchange Along the Silk Road," organized by the China Academy of Translation and Sinological Development Charitable Foundation, is part of XXIV World Congress of Philosophy (WCP) hosted by the International Federation of Philosophical Societies (FISP) and Peking University in Beijing.

More than 60 experts and scholars from 18 countries and regions participated in this international academic seminar and exchanged on "cross-cultural communication on Dunhuang."

Wang Gangyi, vice president of the China International Publishing Group (CIPG) and executive president of the China Academy of Translation, and Dr. Elizabeth Woo Li, chairperson of the Sinological Development Charitable Foundation, attended the event and delivered keynote speeches.

Wang pointed out in his speech that international communication in relation to Dunhuang studies has been one of The China Academy of Translation's major research areas. In 2016, the academy began to establish a large multi-lingual translation body on the theme of the Dunhuang culture, to better provide translation and inquiry services for global researchers.

"The seminar today is our latest effort in this regard," he said. "Located at the western end of the Hexi Corridor, Dunhuang is a critical stronghold on the ancient Silk Road, a historical witness to the exchanges between eastern and western civilizations."

Yang Ping, council member of the International Federation of Translators and secretary general of the China Academy of Translation, pointed out that as an important town on the ancient Silk Road, Dunhuang is the platform for cultural exchanges between contemporary China, India, Central Asia, West Asia and Greece. Dunhuang culture and art have thus become the crystallization of multiculturalism and the nation's precious world cultural heritage. 

"So, in this sense, as Dunhuang belongs to China, it belongs more to the world, and it has an inclusive, harmonious and diverse diversity. The cultural characteristics embody the spirit of the sea, the harmonious coexistence, the mutual exchange of ideas, and the innovation of the Silk Road," she said.

She further stated that the China Academy of Translation is willing to strengthen exchanges and collaboration with scholars and institutions working on Dunhuang research at home and abroad on the basis of the pre-established multi-lingual digitalization of Dunhuang culture, the terminology digital library and the accumulation of preliminary work.

The forum specially invited 12 experts of Dunhuang research and translation from all over the world to give keynote speeches on subjects spanning philosophical texts, astronomical traditions, heritage protection, cultural translation and cultural communication. 

The seminar is part of the efforts by the China Academy of Translation's multilingual Chinese character translation standardization terminology library. It has three parallel sub-forums on "the inheritance and protection of Dunhuang historical and cultural heritages from the perspective of science and technology," "Dunhuang cultural translation and dissemination," and "Dunhuang cultural heritages' historical and social interpretations."

"When we carry out cross-cultural communication about Dunhuang today, we should stress the diversity of civilizations as the source of human progress. Diversity leads to exchange, exchange results in integration, and integration brings progress," said Wang.