Zhao Shengliang

Zhao Shengliang, born in 1964 in Zhaotong, Yunnan, is a renowned Chinese scholar specializing in Dunhuang studies and art history. After graduating from the Department of Chinese at Beijing Normal University, he joined the Dunhuang Academy, beginning a lifelong academic journey with Dunhuang art. Later, he pursued advanced studies at Seijo University in Japan, where he earned both his master’s and doctoral degrees in art history. With solid academic training and years of field research, he has become a leading figure in the field of Dunhuang studies.

At the Dunhuang Academy, Zhao held various positions including Deputy Director and Director of the Editorial Department, Deputy Director, Director, and Party Secretary, and now serves as Chairman of the Academic Committee. He has also actively engaged in international academic exchange, serving as a visiting researcher or professor at institutions such as Tokyo University of the Arts, Tainan National University of the Arts, and Princeton University, thereby promoting the global understanding of Dunhuang art.

His research focuses on Dunhuang cave art, particularly landscape and narrative paintings, depictions of flying apsaras, and the calligraphy found in Dunhuang manuscripts. Zhao emphasizes fieldwork and comparative studies between Chinese and foreign art, with a strong focus on stylistic and formal analysis. He has published over a hundred academic papers and authored more than ten influential books, including Research on Dunhuang Mural Landscapes, Ten Lectures on Dunhuang Art, and History of Dunhuang Cave Art (Sixteen Kingdoms and Northern Dynasties). These works have had a profound impact both within academia and among the general public.

Many of his publications have received prestigious awards. For instance, Research on Dunhuang Mural Landscapes won the Gansu Provincial Social Science Achievement Award, A Brief History of Dunhuang Cave Art was selected as one of the “China Good Books of 2015,” Essays on Dunhuang Art was chosen as one of the “Top Ten Cultural Heritage Books of 2020,” and The Encyclopedia of Dunhuang Art was nominated for the China Publishing Government Award and received multiple provincial honors. These achievements highlight his dual contributions to both scholarly research and cultural promotion.

As both a scholar and cultural ambassador, Zhao Shengliang has deepened the understanding of Dunhuang art while underscoring its unique role in the cultural exchange between East and West. His efforts have helped elevate Dunhuang studies into a “world discipline,” leaving a lasting influence on both academic circles and the wider public.