Chinese viewers can now scan the huge collections of ancient Buddhist Dunhuang documents by logging onto www.idp.nlc.gov.cn, China's digital Dunhuang website.

Nearly 10 thousand titles of digitalised Dunhuang documents, and more than 50 actual documents and 300 images are available on the website.

The website has been officially opened by the National Library of China and the British Library.

Previously, the two libraries signed an agreement to collaborate on the International Dunhuang Project, or IDP, to present images of Dunhuang documents and information on scholars and their researches on the website.

The IDP English website was opened six years ago and more than 10 thousand images are now accessible.

The Dunhuang Library Cave in northwest China was accidentally found by a Taoist priest when he was clearing sand in 1900.

The cave, sealed for 850 years, holds more than 50 thousand relics dating from the 4th to 11th centuries. 
 
(CRI.com May 14, 2004)