The everlasting charm of the historic Dunhuang is known far and wide, in large part thanks to the guardians of these grottoes. An exhibition featuring Dunhuang artwork by a father-daughter pair -- Chang Shuhong and Chang Shana -- is underway at the Tsinghua University Art Museum. The exhibit reveals a riveting relationship between the two, whose art and vision have continued to shed new light on art of Dunhuang. Ding Siyue tells us more.

A reunion of a father and daughter's works after 73 years. The exhibition showcased more than 200 works of oil paintings, sketches, mural paintings, decorative patterns and costume designs. It has penetrated the artistic experience of two generations, fully expressing the core spirit of its theme - protection and inheritance.

CHANG SHANA ARTIST "I spent an unforgettable childhood in Dunhuang with my father, and had a deep complex with Dunhuang. It was the richness of Dunhuang culture that cultivated my demeanour. Dunhuang art gave me the foundation to learn traditional art."

Dunhuang, located in China's northwestern Gansu Province, is the home of the Mogao Grottoes. The world heritage site has over 450 thousand square meters of murals, and is the world's largest grotto for Buddhism art. 

Chang Shuhong and Chang Shana are both well-known Dunhuang scholars in China. Dubbed as the guardian of Dunhuang, Chang Shuhong made remarkable contributions to the study of the Mogao Grottoes. 

Over decades of hard work, he organized the restoration of murals, collected and distributed scattered cultural relics and also recreated a large number of murals. Shana was deeply influenced by her father. She has been copying murals with her father since she was 12, and has devoted herself to the promotion of art education of Dunhuang. 

She also made some important designs based on Dunhuang patterns, including the architectural decoration of the Great Hall of the People. With a unique artistic style, Chang Shana has made great contributions to the integration of contemporary design with Chinese traditional elements.

ZHAO SHENGLIANG, DIRECTOR DUNHUANG ACADEMY CHINA "Chang Shana's career gives us an important enlightenment that artists should absorb from splendid traditional art, so as to create artworks that are rooted in China. We wish more artists can learn and really understand traditional art before they create art that belongs to our times."

DING SIYUE BEIJING "This exhibition is not only a dialogue between father and daughter, but also a reflection of generations of Chinese artists have had for Dunhuang art. By showcasing the works of Chang Shuhong and Chang Shana, the exhibition aims to showcase the influence of Dunhuang on them and further explore the best way to preserve and develop Dunhuang art in the new era. DSY, CGTN, BJ."