Mogao Research Articles

Design of a virtual reality serious game for experiencing the colors of Dunhuang frescoes

With the rapid advancement of digital games, serious games have emerged as a significant medium for engaging with cultural heritage. As a primary visual element in cultural heritage, color plays a crucial role in users’ digital learning. However, there is currently a scarcity of serious game designs that specifically focus on cultural heritage colors, indicating potential for improvement in the user experience. To further enhance users’ perception of color and create a more engaging and enriching digital cultural heritage experience, this study proposes a virtual reality serious game (VR SG) design method specifically tailored to cultural heritage colors. Additionally, it explores the potential of VR SG in enhancing the education, entertainment, and dissemination aspects of these colors within cultural heritage. Specifically, we explore how to integrate relevant knowledge of cultural heritage colors into the application process of VR SG and assess users’ learning performance, engagement, and interactive willingness within these VR SG. The study employs the colors of the Dunhuang cave frescoes as a case study for design practice. A total of 30 participants took part in a between-group comparison experiment, utilizing a mixed-methods approach that combined quantitative and qualitative assessments to compare the performance of a VR SG with a VR exhibition game. The results indicate that both the VR SG and the VR exhibition game effectively enhance users’ understanding and retention of knowledge, with VR SG users demonstrating higher levels of task engagement, emotional engagement, willingness to explore, and willingness to share. This study confirms the potential of VR SG to enhance the education, entertainment, and dissemination aspects of cultural heritage colors and discusses the implications of VR SG in supporting digital cultural heritage experiences.

Color restoration of mural images based on a reversible neural network: leveraging reversible residual networks for structure and texture preservation

AbstractThe Mogao Grottoes in Dunhuang, a treasure of China's and the world's cultural heritage, contains rich historical and cultural deposits and has left precious relics of the history of human art. Over centuries, the Mogao Caves have been affected by natural and human factors, resulting in irreversible fading and discoloration of many murals. In recent years, deep learning technology has shown great potential in the field of virtual mural color restoration. Therefore, this paper proposes a mural image color restoration method based on a reversible neural network. The method first employs an automatic reference selection module based on structural and texture similarity to choose suitable reference mural images for the faded murals. Then, it utilizes a reversible residual network to extract deep features of the mural images without information loss. Next, a channel refinement module is used to eliminate redundant information in the network channels. Finally, an unbiased color transfer module restores the color of the faded mural images. Compared to other image color restoration methods, the proposed method achieves superior color restoration effects while effectively preserving the original structure and texture details of the mural images. Compared to baseline methods, the Structural Similarity Index (SSIM), Feature Similarity Index (FSIM), and Perception-based Image Quality Evaluator (PIQE) values are improved by 7.97%, 3.46%, and 13.98%, respectively. The color restoration of the Dunhuang Mural holds significant historical, artistic, cultural, and economic values, and plays a positive role in the preservation and inheritance of Chinese culture, as well as in the promotion of cultural exchange and mutual understanding.

Study on the Historical Dynamics of the Medicine Buddha Sutra Illustrations based on Medicine Buddha Beliefs

A substantial portion of the murals and manuscripts housed in the Sutra Caves of Dunhuang is intimately tied to the cult of the Medicine Buddha. An examination of the Catalogue of Dunhuang Mogao Caves compiled by the Dunhuang Academy, alongside the New Catalogue of the Dunhuang Manuscripts edited by Huang Yongwu, reveals the presence of 295 texts pertaining to the Medicine Buddha, underscoring the prevalence of this belief system in Dunhuang. The popularity of the Medicine Buddha belief in the region emerged as a pivotal factor influencing the evolution of sutra illustrations’ content and form. The Medicine Buddha’s attributes of averting calamities, curing illnesses, and prolonging life—all catering to worldly aspirations—resonated deeply with people’s pursuit of immediate benefits in this life. This paper employs a multifaceted approach, encompassing documentary research, iconographic analysis, and comparative studies, to trace the historical trajectory and graphical transformations of the “Medicine Buddha Sutra Illustrations” (Yaoshijing Biantu), culminating in a comprehensive synthesis. Furthermore, by delving into the societal backdrop, the underlying economic underpinnings, and the evolving “compositional strategies” of these illustrations across various eras, we aim to present a holistic view of the dynamic development of the Medicine Buddha Sutra illustrations throughout time.

The building system and modeling evolution characteristics from the stacked patios to the pingqi of the grotto

ABSTRACT This paper takes the cave top Pingqi as the breakthrough point, discusses the relationship between the building system and the shape evolution from the lantern roof in the dwellings of Central Asia to the caisery in the grottoes of Xinjiang and then to the Dunhuang cave top Pingqi, discusses and analyzes the process of the integration and mutual learning, absorption and tolerance, innovation and development of Chinese and western cultures in the process, and combines them. Through the comparative analysis of the historical background, structural characteristics and spatial layout of various types of architectural forms, as well as the investigation of their evolution from focusing on functional needs to focusing on decorative art in different periods, we strive to sort out the origin and evolution of the decorative style of cave top Pingqi. The final conclusions of the study are as follows: Dunhuang Mogao Grottoe-roof decoration has experienced the imitation, inheritance, reference and innovation of the architectural style of the roof of Central Asia, Xinjiang and the Central Plains. It can be traced back to the wooden architectural style of “lantern well” in India and Central Asia, as well as the basic functional style of “chimney” in the early Central Plains. The evolution process of roof decoration in different periods is completely preserved in the existing grottoes. Showing the overall evolution process of “chimney”, “lantern well”, “stacked patios”, “sculpture Pingqi” and “drawing Pingqi”, the style of Pingqi in Mogao Grottle-No. 428 has become a typical representative of the evolution of “drawing Pingqi” in the Northern Dynasty, highlighting the deep integration of Chinese and western culture and architectural art, which is of great significance to the study of Chinese traditional architectural history and grotle-decorative art.

The Impact of Augmented Reality Tourism on Tourist Experience and Behavior —A Case Study of the Mogao Caves Cultural Heritage

Background and Aim: The Mogao Caves, representing the pinnacle of Chinese cave art evolution, enjoy esteemed historical significance. With backing from the local government's "Belt and Road" initiative and the establishment of the "Dunhuang Cultural Tourism Economic Circle," Mogao Caves tourism is undergoing high-quality development. However, the surge in tourist numbers has compromised the visitor experience, posing challenges to heritage conservation and tourism development balance. To address this, the Dunhuang Academy has integrated AR technology, safeguarded the heritage while enriched visitor experiences. This study aims to understand tourists' experiences and intentions in virtual Mogao Caves exploration, investigating factors influencing AR tourism experiences. By examining AR's impact and proposing management enhancements, this research contributes to Mogao Caves' sustainable development. Materials and Methods: This study utilizes a quantitative approach with two main stages: literature analysis and statistical analysis. Initially, it defines concepts and establishes the conceptual framework of AR technology by reviewing SOR theory, tourist experiences, behavioral intentions, and relevant studies. It then refines the SOR theory's origin, concept, characteristics, and application areas, analyzing variables such as stimulating factors, tourist experiences, and behavioral intentions. Research hypotheses are formulated, and a theoretical model is constructed. Offline questionnaires from 400 Mogao Caves AR tourists were collected, and data were analyzed using PLS-SEM. The study aims to understand the relationship between tourist experiences and behavioral intentions, analyze mediating effects, validate hypotheses, and confirm the structural model, offering reliable statistical support and a scientific basis for the findings. Results: The results indicate that in AR tourism, content quality, system quality, and interaction quality have a positive impact on tourist experiences. AR tourism experiences significantly influence behavioral intentions. Particularly surprising is that the impact of tourism experiences on behavioral intentions exceeds expectations, demonstrating its importance in AR tourism. This finding highlights the potential of AR technology in enhancing tourist experiences and provides new development opportunities for tourism destinations. Conclusion: AR technology holds immense promise for tourism development at the Mogao Caves heritage site. Factors like content, system, and interaction quality significantly enhance tourist experiences and behavioral intentions in AR tourism there. Quality content not only shapes a positive brand image but also opens up commercial and collaborative opportunities. System stability ensures smooth AR experiences, while interactive design boosts engagement and spending. However, the potential negative impacts of AR technology on tourism require further exploration in future research.

Research on Digital Cultural Products of the Dunhuang Mogao Grottoes

In the context of rapid advancements in digital technology, the Dunhuang Mogao Grottoes, a World Cultural Heritage site, are experiencing a revitalization through digital means. This study systematically explores the current state and cultural value of digital cultural products related to the Dunhuang Mogao Grottoes, analyzing the application of new-generation digital technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI), virtual reality (VR), and augmented reality (AR) in the Dunhuang cultural heritage. Through literature review and market research, the study categorizes various digital cultural products, including digital collections, applications, digital collectibles, and digital avatars. It also examines their significant value in heritage preservation, global dissemination, cultural creative industry development, and educational promotion. This research not only provides empirical support for digital innovation in Dunhuang culture but also offers valuable insights for the digital development of other cultural heritages.

Image inpainting by bidirectional information flow on texture and structure

Image inpainting aims to recover damaged regions of a corrupted image and maintain the integrity of the structure and texture within the filled regions. Previous popular approaches have restored images with both vivid textures and structures by introducing structure priors. However, the structure prior-based approaches meet the following main challenges: (1) the fine-grained textures suffer from adverse inpainting effects because they do not fully consider the interaction between structures and textures, (2) the features of the multi-scale objects in structural and textural information cannot be extracted correctly due to the limited receptive fields in convolution operation. In this paper, we propose a texture and structure bidirectional generation network (TSBGNet) to address the above issues. We first reconstruct the texture and structure of corrupted images; then, we design a texture-enhanced-FCMSPCNN (TE-FCMSPCNN) to optimize the generated textures. We also conjoin a bidirectional information flow (BIF) module and a detail enhancement (DE) module to integrate texture and structure features globally. Additionally, we derive a multi-scale attentional feature fusion (MAFF) module to fuse multi-scale features. Experimental results demonstrate that TSBGNet effectively reconstructs realistic contents and significantly outperforms other state-of-the-art approaches on three popular datasets. Moreover, the proposed approach yields promising results on the Dunhuang Mogao Grottoes Mural dataset.

Displays of Devotion

Although Mogao Cave 17 near Dunhuang is renowned as a vast repository of manuscripts and paintings, it also contained a greater volume of printed materials than is commonly represented; and while enigmatic, these surviving artefacts provide windows onto print reception from close to the beginning of the era of mass printing in East Asia. Among the documents recovered from the library cave are thirtyodd illustrated Buddhist prints commissioned in 947 ce by the ruler of Dunhuang, Cao Yuanzhong, which were over fifty years old at the time the cave was sealed. Now scattered across a global network of museums, libraries, and private collections, the prints were transmitted as a consequence of their creative reuse as Buddhist votive objects: the prints, which began their lives as sponsored displays of power, prestige, and merit-generation, passed into new contexts as personalized (often anonymous) devotional objects, displayed and sometimes physically reconfigured using traditional techniques, including mounting, cropping, backing, colouring, and collaging. By considering the alterations made to the Cao corpus of paper prints alongside similar surviving woodblock illustrated prints and portable paintings from Dunhuang, this essay reflects on the forms and significance of the creative uses of the prints of 947 and helps to clarify the relationship between an emerging print culture, traditional technologies, and local Buddhist devotional practices in the tenth century.

Exploring the viability of combined laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy and Raman spectroscopy for stratigraphic analysis of murals containing isomeric pigments: a case study on realgar and orpiment

A novel combined measurements techniques has been designed in this work, enabling the acquisition of laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) and Raman spectral signals at the same point on a sample. The application of this combined technique to the analysis of multi-layered mock-up blocks painted with orpiment and realgar pigments has yielded significant insights. By correlating variations in the emission line intensity of characteristic elements within the LIBS spectra with depth-specific Raman spectra, the number of laser pulses that penetrated the pigment layers has been accurately determined, thereby establishing a method to measure layer thickness. Finally, the technique wasto analysis the actual mural fragment from Mogao Cave 196, determining the types of pigment and the thickness of the pigment layers.Graphical

Love, Luxury, and Live Spectacle: Narrative Paintings and Women’s Patronage under the Northern Wei

Mogao Cave 257 in Dunhuang, dating from the Northern Wei dynasty (386–534) established by the nomadic Xianbei people in North China, is renowned for its vivid illustrations of scenes from two legends of avadāna (Buddhist paragons) and a jataka story featuring a stunning, nine-colored stag. By examining the narrative paintings as an integrated whole, I demonstrate how a cohort of Xianbei noblewomen may have commissioned the cave chapel not only to express distinct aspects of their social, material, and cultural lives but also to assert their agency and power by portraying women as active viewers in the narrative scenes.

Maṇḍala or Sign? Re-Examining the Significance of the “Viśvavajra” in the Caisson Ceilings of Dunhuang Mogao Caves

This article delves into the exploration of a significant sign, the “viśvavajra”, found in the caisson ceilings of Buddhist esoteric art in Dunhuang’s Mogao Caves. These caissons, featuring the viśvavajra sign in the center, were prevalent from the mid-Tang period to the Western Xia dynasty (ninth to thirteenth centuries) and are recorded by The Overall Record of Dunhuang Mogao Grottoes under description as “Jiaochu Jingxin”. Similar caissons are also found in Western Buddhist Caves near Dunhuang, and Yulin Caves in Guazhou County, indicating a distinct regional character. Focusing on a well-preserved and intricately detailed example from Cave 361, this article aims to elucidate the specific tantric significance of the viśvavajra at the center of the caissons within the broader context of Buddhist art. Drawing from related tantras, the discussion explores how the sign and its surrounding compositions align with a particular homa (fire offering) maṇḍala, specifically the śāntika maṇḍala crucial to numerous Tantric Buddhist rituals. Furthermore, the article examines the evolution of caisson of this type of maṇḍala over time. By comparing the mid-Tang example from Cave 361 with the late Tang period’s Cave 14, a noticeable shift in format becomes apparent. The viśvavajra sign takes on new significance, embodying “the samaya of all Tathāgatas”. Ultimately, the article explores how the significance of the viśvavajra sign transforms into an allusion to Vairocana or Rocana under the Sino-Tibetan Esoteric Buddhist context in the Hexi Corridor during the early Northern Song and Western Xia dynasty.

Rising Damp: The Rising of Moist Earth-Air in the Mogao Grottoes, China

ABSTRACT Usually, the term ‘rising damp’ refers to capillary water rising from the ground which may damage architectural heritage. In this work, the essence of rising damp in extremely arid regions and its driving force are revealed based on experiments monitoring the relative humidity (RH) and atmospheric pressure (AP) in the Dunhuang Mogao Grottoes. The air in the vadose zone, the unsaturated region between ground level and the top of the water table, is here referred to as ‘earth-air’. When the AP rises, the earth-air is compressed, and atmospheric air enters into the soil. Then, when the AP drops, moist earth-air expands and rises into the structure. The RH in the soil is thus negatively correlated with the AP, yielding a correlation coefficient of up to –0.94. Under the action of this long-term dry–wet alternation, the salt present in the building near ground undergoes repeated cycles of crystallization and dissolution, resulting in efflorescence and a deterioration zone. Therefore, the deterioration due to rising damp in extremely arid regions is caused by the rising of moist earth-air rather than capillarity. The height to which it rises is directly proportional to the amplitude of the daily AP fluctuation and thickness of the vadose zone, exhibiting a bimodal fluctuation pattern on a daily scale. The discovery of this mechanism of rising damp provides a scientific basis for preventive conservation interventions.

Juqu Mengxun’s Buddhism-Politics System Drawing on the Kushan Empire: A Case Study of Mogao Cave 275 in Dunhuang, China

The research provides an in-depth analysis of the precious artifacts in Dunhuang Mogao Cave 275, as well as the literature and Mahayana scriptures related, from the Political Science of Religion (PSR) perspective, aiming to discuss the history that Juqu Mengxun tried to make Northern Liang a Kushan-style Mahayana regime. According to the findings, Mahayana, whose teachings were used by Juqu Mengxun to consolidate his political status, had a considerable influence on Northern Liang’s political pattern, cultural expression, and social structure. The research demonstrates the profound influence of Mahayana on the Northern Liang community and reflects Juqu Mengxun’s deep insight into and strategic use of Mahayana. The achievement of this research is expected to provide a new clue for the community to explore Buddhism and the political dynamics on the ancient Silk Road.

AI-enabled Rendering Technology for the Construction and Development of Dunhuang Virtual Pavilion

This paper focuses on the use of AI technology to assist in the construction of digital scenes in Dunhuang Research Institute, which realizes the roaming of tourists in virtual scenes through image recognition and semantic analysis of massive digital image data, and explores the possibility of AI-assisted rendering of virtual museums. Using AI technology, tourists can observe the uniqueness of each cave within the cavern and its rich content from any angle, and obtain an immersive travel experience. The study fully utilizes the new generation of information technology to build a virtual scene platform of Dunhuang Mogao Grottoes, which comprehensively presents the history, cultural value and artistic value of Dunhuang Mogao Grottoes through the comprehensive integration and display of a variety of digital resources. Focusing on digital media and virtual reality technology, through the use of artificial intelligence technology and the comprehensive integration of related digital resources, to build a complete set of virtual reality ecosystem, and explore the realization of multi-source data fusion of Dunhuang cultural communication.

Investigating the impact factors of dust emission efficiency over gobi with portable wind tunnel field experiments

AbstractThe contribution of the gobi to dust emission in arid northwestern China is largely uncertain due to the lack of studies on the surface properties of gobi. The dust emission efficiency ( ) as a comprehensive characterization of surface properties is an essential parameter for quantifying dust emission. However, the main influencing factors of dust emission efficiency are still unclear, as it is a big challenge to do a comprehensive field experiment and get the long‐term continuous field data in gobi due to its harsh environment. Here, we are aiming at quantitively identifying the main factors of dust emission efficiency by using a portable wind tunnel for field experiments over the gobi surface in Dunhuang Mogao grottoes. Results showed that (1) the abundance of bombardment sand regulates the relationship between and friction wind velocity ( ). The decreases as a power function with increasing , and the correlation is weak (R2 = 0.41, P < 0.05) in the shortage of bombardment sand. In contrast, increases with following a power function, and the correlation is strong (R2 = 0.91, P < 0.05) when bombardment sand is enriched. (2) The surface dust content of the gobi dominates the , which increases exponentially with the increased dust content. Relative to , the surface dust content has a bigger contribution to . (3) The gobi in Northwest China could be an underestimated dust source, as it has an enriched dust content and a higher than sandy desert. Therefore, the quantitative monitoring and further research of dust emissions in the gobi should be strengthened.

Vision and Site: Revisiting a Pure Land Cave of Dunhuang

Buddhist Utopian vision shaped the art of Pure Land; so did many other factors, including the actual locale. Taking Mogao Cave 172 as the main case study, this article deciphers a visual paradigm of a Pure Land painting and cave in Dunhuang (Gansu, China) from the high Tang period (710–780 CE). By analyzing the visual contents and compositions, the painting medium, the cave spaces, and the cliff site, this study investigates the ways in which the architectural images and spaces in Cave 172 helped to convey the invitation to Pure Land. A close reading of the Western Pure Land painting in Cave 172 reveals the spatial construct of the Buddhist paradise that encouraged a transformative viewing experience. A situated visual analysis of Cave 172 with its auxiliary cave and neighboring caves illustrates the historical procedure in which Pure Land imageries were further integrated with the architectural spaces of caves and cave suites. As this study demonstrates, strategies of spatial layering, self-symmetry and scaling, and plastic and multimedia practices of cave-making enhanced the situatedness of the utopian vision.

Genesis of the Planning Structure And Ceilings of Dunhuang Sanctuaries

The article is devoted to the study of the genesis of the plans and ceilings of the Dunhuang cave sanctuaries. Based on the methods of graphic-and-analytical, defining features and system-structural analysis, the spread of types of plans and ceilings from dynasty to dynasty has been traced. With the help of a group of auxiliary methods of historical analysis, mathematical analysis and comparative analysis, a general picture of the development of the floating structure and constructive schemes of the Dunhuang sanctuaries from the Northern Liang period to the Yuan period was created. By counting the types of plans and ceilings in each period, a group of the most common types of plans was determined: with a combination of larger and smaller rectangles (where the smaller is the altar part of a square or rectangular shape), a plan in the form of a square with a protruding trapezoidal altar, an altar in outline close to a rectangle or trapezoids with rounded corners, a horizontally elongated plan rectangle, based on squares with protrusions. The most common type of ceilings is fu-dow-din with modifications.

TRANSFORMATION OF THE TRADITIONS OF NORTHERN NATIONAL ROMANTICISM IN THE CONDITIONS OF CHINA (ON THE EXAMPLE OF THE QINGDAO GOVERNOR'S RESIDENCE)

Chinese local architectural and artistic traditions proved to be so resistant to external influences that they in turn actively transformed the borrowed styles, giving them a local flavour. As an early example of the gradual transformation of foreign styles on local soil, the Dunhuang cave temple complex should be mentioned, where the traditions of decorating the interiors of Buddhist cave sanctuaries borrowed from India increasingly moved away from the original models, acquiring a local flavour during the heyday. We can talk about similar processes at the beginning of the 20th century in the case of the development of the German settlement of Qingdao, where, in fact, purely German traditions acquired a fundamentally different context in a different cultural and natural environment. The phenomenon of the transformation of northern national romanticism in the conditions of foreign settlements on the territory of China is studied. The Qingdao Governor’s Residence was analyzed as the main example. By comparing this object with European objects of northern national romanticism, the ways in which the borrowed styles were transformed under the influence of local Chinese traditions were determined. Changes took place at the level of landscape traditions, architectural objects, design elements, works of art. This phenomenon continued the process of transformation of foreign phenomena, which took place much earlier, for example, in the unique cave complex of Dunhuang.

Quantity and spatial distribution of earth-air activity in Cave 108 of the Dunhuang Mogao Grottoes

Monitoring of earth-air humidity in soil has revealed extensive rising/falling activity on the land. Alternation of dry and wet air is the main root cause deterioration in cave wall paintings. However, the quantity and spatial distribution of earth-air activity in caves remain unclear. This study used air flowmeters to monitor the earth-air outflow at 136 points on the west, south, and north walls of Cave 108 in the Dunhuang Mogao Grottoes, and to determine its spatial distribution. Results showed that under the influence of atmospheric fluctuation, there is frequent air exchange between the atmosphere and the earth-air, and that the daily outflow of earth-air from Cave 108 is 50.893 m3/d. Earth-air flux is negatively correlated with atmospheric pressure, and the fluctuation of atmospheric pressure is the main driving force of earth-air activity. The average outflow of earth-air from the ground of Cave 108 is 0.109 L/(min·m2). Apart from that, the overall spatial distribution of earth-air quantity showed the following pattern: ground > west wall > north wall > south wall. What's more, the outflow of earth-air is inversely proportional to the wall height, while proportional to the depth of the cave embedded in the cliff. In such case, sealing the cave floor with concrete will heighten earth-air flow on the walls, thereby quickening the deterioration process of wall paintings. This study unveiled the deterioration mechanism of wall paintings in the context of earth-air conditions, thus establishing a foundation for the scientific protection of wall paintings.

Sixth-Century Chinese Manuscript Sheds Light on the Transferability of Merit and Suffering and on the Intersection of Politics and Religion

abstract: Xiao Yan, also known as Emperor Wu of the Liang dynasty (464–549, r. 502–549 ce), was one of the first Chinese emperors to utilize Buddhism to improve his political position. Recent studies have shown how Emperor Wu orchestrated his own ordination as a bodhisattva in 519 so that, as savior of the people, he could rise above the great families that threatened his supremacy. In practice, Emperor Wu's role as bodhisattva was that of a leveler who distributed karmic merit in egalitarian fashion among his subjects, breaking the monopoly of karma claimed by his aristocratic rivals; and he also volunteered to take his subjects' sufferings upon himself, further solidifying his role as universal uplifter. This article examines the mechanics of Emperor Wu's policy by analyzing a manuscript preserved in the Dunhuang cave complex that shows the emperor-bodhisattva in action. A full transcription and translation of the document are included at the end of this article.