National Museum of Korea will host a special exhibition titled ‘Opening the Millennium Seal – Special Exhibition of Dunhuang Buddhist Texts’ starting October 23 in the Central Asia Gallery.
This exhibition showcases four Buddhist texts from the museum's collection and one from the Kyujanggak Institute for Korean Studies at Seoul National University, based on research published in 2025. Notably, the original ‘Heart Sutra’ (Volume 50) from the Kyujanggak collection will be displayed until November 22, after which it will be replaced with a replica.
Dunhuang, located in the Gansu province of China, served as a gateway on the Silk Road. The Mogao Caves, particularly Cave 17, known as ‘Library Cave,’ housed over 60,000 cultural artifacts, including Buddhist texts, sealed for nearly a millennium since the 11th century. The Dunhuang documents provide invaluable insights into Buddhist culture and the society of that era.
The Buddhist texts in the National Museum's collection include ‘Daizhi Lun’ (Volume 12), ‘Nengyan Jing’ (Volume 5), ‘Heart Sutra’ (Volume 136), and ‘Buming Jing’ (Volume 7 of a 16-volume set), all acquired from the Gyeongbokgung Museum in 1913 during the Japanese occupation. The ‘Heart Sutra’ (Volume 50) at the Kyujanggak Institute was donated by Professor Lee Sang-baek (1904–1966).
‘Daizhi Lun’ (Volume 12) contains a dedication written by a Buddhist believer named Yi Sahyun in 593 during the Sui Dynasty. Emperor Wen of Sui (reigned 581–604), who unified China, promoted Buddhism as a means of national integration, encouraging the copying of texts. The version held by the National Museum is a manuscript produced in Dunhuang during this period of Buddhist text proliferation.
‘Nengyan Jing’ (Volume 5) is preserved in complete form only at the National Museum of Korea, the British Library, and the National Library of China, despite existing copies worldwide.
‘Heart Sutra’ (Volume 136), copied in the 8th to 9th centuries, reflects the historical context of active copying during the Tibetan rule. Currently, only the National Museum of Korea and the British Library hold complete versions of this text. The ‘Heart Sutra’ (Volume 50) from the Kyujanggak Institute, believed to date from the 7th to 8th centuries, will also be featured.
‘Buming Jing’ (Volume 7 of a 16-volume set) is estimated to date from the 9th to 10th centuries. This text reflects popular beliefs that chanting the names of numerous Buddhas can cleanse sins, and it is currently preserved in three separate fragments.
The exhibition has been enhanced with the cooperation of the Dunhuang Academy, which has recreated the interior and exterior of Mogao Cave 17 to provide visitors with an immersive experience.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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