Carving out a niche

"I want to build a dedicated repository of material written in ancient ethnic languages, which will form our own unique resource once established," Zheng says.

Yang Wenbo, who has been studying for a master's degree in Dunhuang studies at Lanzhou University since 2016, says the repository is one of China's most comprehensive collections of materials relating to Dunhuang and is a key resource for research.

"Professor Zheng often requires us to undertake a lot of meticulous reading and regularly offers us guidance," Yang says. "The door to his office is always open. We can consult him whenever we have a question."

Lanzhou University has achieved gratifying results in Dunhuang studies. According to Zheng, the university has published more than 300 academic books on the subject over the years. On average, dozens of new books and over 100 research papers are published every year.

The Institute of Dunhuang Studies has also established academic collaborations with other institutes and universities around the world, including Japan's Waseda University, the British Museum and the French School of Asian Studies.

One of Zheng's current endeavors is a project launched by the institute in 2015 to compile and publish papers and articles on Dunhuang studies as a reference archive to be used by academics around the world.