Culture is the most important traits of Dunhuang and is world-famous for its extensive knowledge and profound scholarship. In 1879, Loc chi Kasnishi, President of Hungarian Geology Society and the first foreign scholar to visit China, exclaimed with admiration after he appreciated the Mogao Grottoes arts. In 1902, at the International Oriental Study meeting held in Hamburg, Germany, he told the scholars from Britain, Germany, France and Russia how magnificent and exquisite the Dunhuang arts were. It drew their great attention and interests. In 1900, the discovery of Buddhist scriptures cave in Mogao Grottoes surprised the academia of China and foreign countries even more. Over 50,000 pieces of scriptures written in ancient letters, volumes of Buddhist scriptures, many kinds of silk, pictures, linen paintings, printing products of carving plates, gold-bronze and woodcut statues of Buddha were found in the cave. The so-called scholars of many countries spitted three-feet-long drool with envy for this.
Therefore, in the following 10 years, these so-called scholars and explorers from Britain, Germany, France and Russia plundered a large amount of Dunhuang relics. Since the culture of Buddhist scripture caves was known by the world, the scholars from a lot of countries have made step-by-step research of Dunhuang culture in the fields of plastic arts, murals and architecture by using different methods from all aspects of theoretical courses. So, a special subject which is called the Study of Dunhuang has been formed in the international scientific research.