Opening Ceremony and Academic Symposium: "Radiance of Dunhuang — Academy of Arts & Design, Tsinghua University: Special Exhibition of Dunhuang Art Research and Design Achievements"

On 9 October 2026, “Radiance of Dunhuang — Academy of Arts & Design, Tsinghua University: Special Exhibition of Dunhuang Art Research and Design Achievements" was officially inaugurated at The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU). As a signature academic exchange initiative of the Academy of Arts & Design, Tsinghua University (AADTHU), the exhibition uses Dunhuang art as a vital connector, showcasing decades of design translation inspired by Dunhuang art, carrying forward the academic legacy pioneered by masters Pang Xunqin and Chang Shana.

Following successful showcases at the China Cultural Center in Paris (Oct 2024) and the UN Headquarters in New York (Dec 2025), this Hong Kong exhibition marks the third stop of its global tour. The opening ceremony brought together cultural and fashion leaders as well as faculty and students from both universities, with guests including representatives from the Hong Kong Palace Museum (HKPM), the Hong Kong Fashion Council, the Hong Kong Fashion Designers Association, and the Friends of Dunhuang (Hong Kong) Limited.

Dr. Mia Ma (Assistant Curator, HKPM) delivered remarks at the opening ceremony.

As one of the academic supporting organisations, the HKPM-PolyU Joint Chinese Textile Centre (JCTC) facilitated the invitation of Dr. Mia Ma, Assistant Curator at HKPM, to deliver remarks at the opening ceremony.

Dr. Ma highlighted Dunhuang as a vital artistic and spiritual wellspring, praising the exhibition for translating Dunhuang mural motifs and costumes into contemporary fashion design. She also noted the deep cultural affinity between Dunhuang and Hong Kong, revealing that HKPM will partner with

Dunhuang Academy China and the Palace Museum next year to present an exhibition on mural and artwork conservation.

Exhibition Highlights

Following the opening ceremony, curator Prof. Li Yingjun (Vice Dean, AADTHU) led guests on a guided tour. The exhibition showcases a diverse range of works across painting, fashion, textiles, product design, and crafts by AADTHU faculty, students, and alumni. Alongside iconic pieces by pioneering masters—such as Pang Xunqin, Chang Shana, Chen Hanmin, and Liu Jude—the showcase features recent contemporary creations and collaborative works co-designed with PolyU faculty and students, underscoring the deep academic lineage and creative synergy between both universities.

(From left) Prof. Puay-peng Ho (Head of Department of Architecture, PolyU), Professor Li Wei (AADTHU); and Ms. Lee Mei-yin (Researcher, Friends of Dunhuang (Hong Kong) Limited), exchanging insights at the exhibition.

Academic Symposiusm

On the opening day, the "Academic Symposium on Dunhuang Art" was held at PolyU. The session was moderated by Prof. Huang Tsai-Chun, Assistant Professor at SFT, PolyU, who also serves as one of the JCTC project PIs. In his opening remarks, Prof. Huang stated that the symposium aimed to explore the relationship between "origins and evolution," advancing the modernisation of Dunhuang art and its creative integration with contemporary fashion design based on traditional heritage.

Guest speakers included Dr Mia Ma, Assistant Curator at HKPM; Ms Lee Mei-yin, Researcher with Friends of Dunhuang (Hong Kong) Limited; Prof. Li Yingjun (Vice Dean), Prof. Wu Bo, and Prof. Li Wei from AADTHU; as well as Prof. Puay-peng Ho, Head of the Department of Architecture, and Dr Zhao Yi from the Department of Chinese History and Culture (CHC), both representing PolyU.

Prof. Zhao Yi (CHC, PolyU, and one of the JCTC Project PIs) delivered a presentation at the academic symposium.

Serving as one of the academic supporting organisations, JCTC also facilitated the invitation of Dr. Mia Ma to deliver a scholarly presentation at the academic symposium. Dr. Ma presented her latest research on the iconographic evolution of the Water-Moon Guanyin (水月觀音) in Dunhuang.

She noted that a painting of the Thousand-Armed and Thousand-Eyed Avalokiteśvara (千手千眼觀音圖) unearthed from the Dunhuang Library Cave is the earliest surviving Water-Moon Guanyin artwork bearing a definitive inscription. Rather than deriving directly from Buddhist scriptures, this imagery was originally created by Tang court painters.

Prof. Zhao Yi, Assistant Professor of CHC at PolyU, and one of the JCTC Project Principal Investigators (PIs), shared his research on Cave 275 of the Dunhuang Mogao Caves from the perspective of Buddhist art history, exploring its spatial function and religious significance. By analyzing the cave’s structure, the central Maitreya Bodhisattva, and the murals across the north and south walls, he demonstrated that its iconographic system encapsulates the Jātaka (本生)and deeds of the Buddha, ultimately embodying the spiritual aspirations and practice of Mahāyāna (大乘佛教) Buddhism.

Dr. Mia Ma (Assistant Curator, HKPM) delivered a presentation at the academic symposium.

Prof. Huang Tsai-Chun (SFT, PolyU, and one of the JCTC Project PIs) moderated the academic symposium.

Concluding the symposium, moderator Prof. Huang Tsai-Chun, Assistant Professor of SFT at PolyU, and one of the JCTC Project Principal Investigators (PIs), delivered the closing remarks, speaking highly of the significance of bridging the special exhibition with academic discourse. He expressed his hopes that scholars from both regions would continue to collaborate in advancing contemporary research, design innovation, and public outreach surrounding Dunhuang's cultural heritage.

The successful staging of the “Radiance of Dunhuang — Academy of Arts & Design, Tsinghua University: Special Exhibition of Dunhuang Art Research and Design Achievements" and Academic Symposium has further amplified the reach and influence of this touring series, allowing Dunhuang art—a timeless pearl of the Silk Road—to shine with renewed contemporary brilliance on the shores of Hong Kong. The exhibition is open to the public at PolyU and will run through 6 November 2026.