HKU Centre of Buddhist Studies 20th Anniversary Series
Public Lectures by Dr. Neil Schmid
Silk Road
Mogao Grottoes
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| Speaker: | Dr. Neil Schmid |
| Time: | Lecture 1: 7-9 pm (HKT) | 30 May 2023 (Tue) Lecture 2: 7-9 pm (HKT) | 31 May 2023 (Wed) |
| Venue: | CBA, G/F, Chow Yei Ching Building, HKU |
| Language: | English |
| Type: | All are welcome | Free admission | First-come-first-served |
| Organized by: | HKU Centre of Buddhist Studies |
| Sponsored by: | GS Charity Foundation |
| Enquiry: | hkucbs@hku.hk |
About the Speaker:
Dr. Neil Schmid
Neil Schmid is Research Professor at the Dunhuang Academy. His scholarship centers on Dunhuang and the Silk Road exploring a range of topics, including the role of Buddhist literature in ritual and art, medieval economic development, esoteric Buddhism, and the ritual aesthetics of painting and architectural space of the Dunhuang caves. He is currently at work on several projects that include Sasanian influences on Central Asian and Dunhuang art, the cult of Śākyamuni in medieval China, and a monograph entitled From Byzantium to Japan: Ritual Objects and Religious Exchanges Across Eurasia in Late Antiquity, that traces the flow of exotic goods and ritual paraphernalia along the Silk Road.
Lecture Summary
Lecture 1
The Church of the East and its Interaction with Esoteric Buddhism: New Silk Road Discoveries
Time: 7:00 – 9:00 PM on 30 May, 2023 (Tuesday)
Venue: CBA, G/F, Chow Yei Ching Building, HKU
Among the remarkable discoveries in the Library Cave of Dunhuang’s Mogao Grottoes were a number of Christian manuscripts in Chinese from a branch known as the Church of the East or “Luminous Teachings” 景教. These manuscripts attest to the presence of Christianity at Dunhuang and are representative of the once thriving religion during the Tang Dynasty. The question then arises: given that evidence, are there also visual references to Christianity in the Mogao Caves? This talk explores the visual and material culture of Christianity in the Mogao Caves and investigates how exciting new archaeological discoveries in Xinjiang shed light on the religion and its fascinating interaction with esoteric Buddhism during the Tang Dynasty.
Lecture 2
A Perfumed Chamber: Exploring Hidden Gems among the Mogao Grottoes
Time: 7:00 – 9:00 PM on 31 May, 2023 (Wednesday)
Venue: CBA, G/F, Chow Yei Ching Building, HKU
Visitors to the Mogao Grottoes are often struck by the majestic large-scale caves built by the Dunhuang élites during the Tang and Five Dynasties. Unbeknownst to them are the dozens of miniature caves created during the same period. Never shown to visitors and overlooked by scholars, these caves are physically inaccessible due to their diminutive size but are nonetheless perfect replicas of large-scale grottoes. This talk explores this remarkable phenomena, showing for the first time these caves’ interiors and exquisite art, and addresses the questions of why such caves were constructed and how they challenge our understanding of Dunhuang art and Buddhist practice.