Female Researcher Dedicates Herself to Studying Dunhuang Grottos

Fan Jinshi. [Women Voice]

Fan Jinshi, 79, a researcher of Dunhuang Academy, has devoted herself to preserving and researching Dunhuang Grottos in northwest China's Gansu Province for over five decades.

Due to her father's influence, Fan has been interested in arts since a young age. The happiest events for her were visiting museums and art galleries when she was a little girl, she recalled.

After graduating from Peking University, Fan was assigned to work in Dunhuang at the age of 25.

Facing the long distance between Shanghai, where her hometown was located, and Gansu with the desolate environment, Fan's father even wrote a letter to protest the decision. However, Fan hid the letter and her strong determination made her father finally accept her work.

"So long as you chose the path you should forge ahead with full passion," her father said. Fan also confessed that her father's words inspired her a lot and gave her strength to stick to her chosen career.

During her years of dedication in studying Dunhuang Grottos, Fan has faced many difficulties from both family and work.

In 1967, Fan married her husband Peng Jinzhang. The couple then went through 19 years of separation until 1986. Due to her busy work, Fan gave birth to her eldest child in Gansu without her family's support and later she even asked a relative to help her take care of her younger son, who she could barely recognize after several years of isolation.

Fan confessed that she felt sorry for her family, especially her sons. She has often thought about leaving to return to be with them, but there was always much more research needing to be done.

After years of work, Fan started to consider a new issue of how to preserve Dunhuang Grottos from the changes of temperature, humidity and air quality, which were influenced by the increasing numbers of tourists.

With advanced digital technology, Fan proposed an idea of establishing digital files for each cave, mural and painted sculpture, which could help the art of the Grottos exist forever.

Therefore, they made a high definition fulldome film of Dunhuang Grottos by using modern technology, which is unique in the world at present. The film also makes visitors feel the sense of immediacy and immersion by showing them vivid digital images.

In May 2016, the "Digital Dunhuang" project officially launched. Around 30 representative caves' high definition digital images and panorama roaming systems have been released through the Internet.

"We have successfully achieved the accuracy and integrity of preservation of cultural relics using digital technology. The project will become a part of history," said Fan.

In addition, speaking of the other predecessors in the field, Fan expressed her respect to them. Working in such a remote area, Fan said that many researchers have spent their whole lives preserving and spreading the beauty of Dunhuang with full hearts.

"We not only protect the Grottos but also try to spread the value and historical information to future generations authentically. We cannot let cultural heritage be destroyed by our hands," Fan wrote in her book.

A web page of "Digital Dunhuang". [Women Voice]
A picture of Dunhuang mural. [Women Voice]
A picture of Dunhuang mural. [Women Voice]
A picture of Dunhuang mural. [Women Voice]

(Source: Women Voice/Translated and edited by Women of China)