International Dunhuang Programme
The Project
The International Dunhuang Programme (IDP) was launched in 1994 on the initiative of several cultural and scientific institutions around the world. The objectives are to catalogue, digitise and virtually bring together collections of objects, manuscripts and works of art from the archaeological sites of Dunhuang. These historical treasures, often scattered among different international institutions, become accessible to the public and researchers via digital platforms. The project also aims to facilitate interdisciplinary research on these exceptional materials.
The BnF and the IDP
The BnF is one of the founding members of the IDP and actively participates in the digitisation and dissemination of Dunhuang-related documents held in its collections, specifically the Pelliot collection. This collection, assembled during the expedition led by French sinologist Paul Pelliot (1878–1945) to Central Asia between 1906 and 1909, contains woodblock prints, engravings, and manuscripts written in Mandarin, Tibetan and Uyghur, documenting activities and exchanges along the Silk Road. Among them are official administrative documents, monastery archives and personal archives that have enabled research into the economic and legal history of medieval China.
Since 2019, the Dunhuang documents held by the BnF are also available via the France-China Digital Library, as part of the ‘Shared Heritage’ collection.
The Partners
In addition to the BnF, other institutions are also greatly involved in this international project:
