The Dunhuang Foundation was established in 2010 as a United States IRS-approved 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organization. It was originally founded to support the Dunhuang Academy, particularly in building a state-of-the-art visitors center to accommodate the nearly 3 million visitors per year to Dunhuang. At that time, the Mogao Caves - one of China’s first UNESCO World Heritage Sites and the world’s largest collection of Buddhist painting and sculpture - was in need of protection from an overwhelming surge in visitors to the site. Upon the successful completion of that campaign, the Foundation continued fulfilling its mandate from the Dunhuang Academy to bridge Chinese scholars and their international counterparts. To this end, the Foundation funded initiatives ranging from training Chinese conservators through collaboration with international partners to academic convenings breaking new ground in Dunhuang studies.

For 15 years, the Foundation’s focus has been on preserving and promoting the cultural and historical significance of Dunhuang. Now, as we mark this milestone, we are expanding our mission to encompass the broader Silk Roads, recognizing the vast and interconnected artistic, religious, and cultural exchanges that shaped civilizations across Asia and beyond.

We embrace an expansive, interdisciplinary approach that transcends traditional boundaries of nation-states and area studies, recognizing Dunhuang’s historic role as a crossroads of global artistic, religious, economic, and political traditions. Our mission is to support and expand Silk Roads studies by fostering innovative research, facilitating international collaborations, and promoting a deeper understanding of the transcultural interactions that influenced the development of societies across time and space.

While we maintain a strong partnership with the Dunhuang Academy, facilitating international scholarship and expanding global engagement with Dunhuang’s unparalleled artistic and historical legacy, the Foundation is developing new programs to resource Silk Roads studies experts who engage with this field through academic and curatorial projects. By supporting rigorous academic inquiry and cross-cultural exploration, the Dunhuang Foundation ensures that the legacy of the Silk Roads continues to inspire and inform future generations.