The art of the Dunhuang Grottoes is extensive and profound, with murals, colored sculptures and architectural masterpieces created over 10 historical periods from the 4th to 14th centuries AD, stretching from the Sixteen Kingdoms period (304-439) to the Yuan Dynasty (1271-1368). This concentrated embodiment of Buddhist art combined with traditional Chinese culture is a world-renowned cultural heritage site.

The art of the Dunhuang Grottoes originated from Buddhist culture, but it is integrated with Chinese culture, Western art and daily life. The figures in its murals and painted sculptures are vivid and natural, with beautiful shapes, exquisite costumes and gorgeous patterns. The images show the inheritance and development of Dunhuang dress in shape, structure, material, accessories, color, pattern and decorative style that arose through the changes in cultural forms and lifestyles in different periods. The wealth of information implied in these images could be said to constitute a museum of Chinese national costume culture and decorative art, providing art design and theoretical researchers with inexhaustible learning and research resources, and opening up a rich pathway for the general public to come to understand Chinese traditional culture.

The exhibition of 369 works, which opened seven years ago, displays the research and design works of the Dunhuang Costume Culture Research and Innovation Design Center team. It is based on the field investigation of Dunhuang Grottoes, combined with the verification of literature and materials and the renderings of character costumes and key pattern details drawn according to the Dunhuang murals or painted sculptures as well as representative costume art reproduction works and innovative design works. It is the result of research of an artistic practice and based on precious first-hand materials and artistic feelings.

This exhibition is also a display of the results of the National Social Science Fund Art Project "Dunhuang Historical Costume Culture Research" and the National Art Fund 2024 "Silk Road Costume Heritage Conservation and Innovative Design Talent Training" project. We believe this research will show the audience the great thinking of the creators of Dunhuang Grottoes art and the profundity of Dunhuang costume culture. Through this exhibition, we hope that Dunhuang costume culture, an important facet of Dunhuang culture, will come to be loved and referenced by more artists and designers, and understood and loved by Dunhuang art enthusiasts. This will inspire deeper thought about traditional culture and modern life so that the vitality of Dunhuang art remains vibrant in the new era.