Wang Yuanlu

Wang Yuanlu (Traditional Chinese: 王圓籙; Simplified Chinese: 王圆箓; pinyin: Wáng Yuánlù) (c.a. 1849 - 1931) was a Taoist priest acting as an abbot of the caves in Dunhuang at the beginning of the 20th century, the discoverer of the Dunhuang manuscripts.

He discovered ancient Buddhist scriptures in a temple there, and, failing to appreciate their cultural value, sold them to various visitors from Europe. The first was Sir Aurel Stein, who took a largely random selection of the works. One source states that "To gain access to the caves, Stein had to hoodwink their slightly mad, self-appointed guardian Wang Yuanlu, a subterfuge for which the Chinese haven't forgiven him." [Heimovics (1999)] Later Paul Pelliot would come to purchase the most valuable among them.

Notes

References

* Heimovics, Dick (1999). " [http://www.bloch.umkc.edu/classes/heimovicsr/Stuff%20for%20Pers%20Home/SILK%20ROAD.doc Connecting and Disconnections on the Silk Road] "
* Hopkirk, Peter (1980). "Foreign Devils on the Silk Road: The Search for the Lost Cities and Treasures of Chinese Central Asia". Amherst: The University of Massachusetts Press. ISBN 0-87023-435-8.

External links

* [http://www.silk-road.com/artl/diamondsutra.shtml The Oldest Printed Text in the World - The Diamond Sutra]
* [http://www.lib.uiowa.edu/spec-coll/Bai/kahler.htm The David Middleton Reed Collection of Chinese Studies]