Hosted by Service Center of Public Culture in Dalian and organized by Lushun Museum, the exhibition on Gandharan artworks from Lushun Museum was officially opened on July 13, 2021.
Gandara stands at the intersection where human civilization converges and the China’s Buddhist art begins. Located at the central part of the European and Asian continents, Gandara was once a hotspot for trade alongside the Silk Road and a sacred place for Buddhists in ancient times. And it was the place where Buddhism and Buddhist art rejuvenated and further spread from the south to the north, the west to the east.
From India to central Asia to China, Buddhist statues have taken a long journey along the ancient Silk Road in which Buddhism integrated with local culture, leading to a transformation and eventually becoming a religion with Chinese characteristics. As a part of China’s civilization, Buddhism was thereafter spread to East Asia and even the whole world. The first religion with a tangible “Buddhist figure” as its representative has formed.
The exhibition presents over 200 Buddhist statue pieces from Gandara carefully selected from the old collections and acquisition of Lushun Museum, with a large number of images and explanatory notes, guiding audience to learn and enjoy the charm of the Buddhist statues from a foreign country. The exhibition will last till October 7, 2021.
Source: Lushun Museum