The International Dunhuang Project: The Silk Road Online
IDP is a ground-breaking international collaboration to make information and images of all manuscripts, paintings, textiles and artefacts from Dunhuang and archaeological sites of the Eastern Silk Road freely available on the Internet and to encourage their use through educational and research programmes.
IDP partner institutions which both provide data for and act as hosts to the multilingual website and database are:
Major IDP partners providing data include:
IDP’s many other collaborating institutions provide data and work on joint projects.
Read more about IDP…
What's New
MANUSCRIPTS NOT ACCESSIBLE BETWEEN SEPT. 9 AND NOV. 6 2013
Owing to essential maintenance work in the storage areas of the British Library, the Stein Dunhuang and other Central Asia manuscripts will not be available for study on the dates above. The dates are still to be confirmed, and please email IDP (idp@bl.uk) or check here for further updates.
Relaunch of Sponsor a Sutra
Sponsor a Sutra, your opportunity to enable the copying of a Buddhist sutra just like the original patrons of the manuscripts, has been relaunched. We have a simpler pricing scheme, starting from just £35, and a new secure online payment system. You can add your own dedication or sponsor a sutra as a gift for a friend. All funds go directly to the digitisation work of IDP and enable us to make more material freely available online.
New Videos
IDP has new videos available on our YouTube channel. Conserving the Diamond Sutra tells the story of the sutra scroll, its science and conservation and Donor Profile features IDP supporter The Venerable Phra Kru Samu Lom from the Buddhapadipa Temple in Wimbledon, London.
Records not Available
We are currently carrying out a major redevelopment of the IDP database and website, that will be implemented over the course of 2013. As part of this process, we are checking, validating and consolidating records and images on the database. There will be periods over the next year when records and images will be temporarily unavailable. Apologies in advance for any disruption.
We would appreciate your help. If you notice any errors, spelling mistakes, missing data or images, please do let us know. Please send by email to idp@bl.uk.
What's On
Click here to see details of Conferences, Lectures, Exhibitions and other events.
Site Info
- Site last revised: February 2013.
- Please note: javascript and cookies must be enabled for this site.
- If you have 'blocked' pop-up windows then some internal links will not work.
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- Click here for further technical information.
Site Credits
- Website design by Vic Swift of IDP.
- Database development and web integration by Michael Kaye of sendmetospace with additional support for Chinese version by Mark Mitchenall, using 4D database software and Active4D.
- General text written by Susan Whitfield with additional input from other members of IDP staff and translation by IDP staff in China, Russia, Japan and Germany.
- Some areas of the site such as Educational Projects, Resources, Research and Conservation Papers and My IDP projects are individually authored and accredited. IDP is not responsible for their content.
