LANZHOU -- The Dunhuang studies research library, an online database compiling global research findings and first-hand information related to Dunhuang studies, was launched on Tuesday.

The online library covers manuscripts from the Dunhuang Academy's collection, historical images, e-books on Dunhuang studies and research findings by scholars from home and abroad. The new database also offers search functions and new book recommendations, among other services.

Dunhuang studies is an interdisciplinary field dedicated to the research, excavation and preservation of cultural relics and documents from Dunhuang in Northwest China's Gansu province, with a focus on the Mogao Grottoes as a representative example.

The new research library has been jointly developed by the Dunhuang Academy and the Chaoxing Group.

According to Su Bomin, dean of the Dunhuang Academy, the online library is expected to provide academic support for scholars to conduct systematic research and produce more influential research outcomes.

The Dunhuang Academy previously established the "Digital Dunhuang" resource library and the Dunhuang manuscripts database, enabling the sharing of high-definition digital images of the Mogao Grottoes and digital resources from the Library Cave.