British Professor: Ancient texts show Buddhism once flourished in Xinjiang

Imre Galambos is a Qiushi Chair Professor at Zhejiang University and an Emeritus Professor at the Faculty of Asian and Middle Eastern Studies, University of Cambridge. His primary research focus is on ancient Chinese manuscripts. At Zhejiang University, he teaches courses titled "Cross-Cultural Communication of Manuscripts along the Silk Road" and "Western Philology and Manuscript Studies."

Galambos's mother is from the Tatar ethnic group. He has visited various places in Xinjiang, including Urumqi, Turpan, Kuqa, Aksu, and Kashi, where the region's history, culture, and cuisine have all captivated him. During his academic research, a collection of manuscripts discovered in Turpan left a particularly strong impression on him. The front side of these manuscripts contains Chinese Buddhist scriptures, while the back side features Uygur texts. This demonstrates that the Uygurs at the time were highly interested in Chinese literature, especially Buddhist texts.
He noted that today's Xinjiang is very modern, and the experiences in Xinjiang are all positive. Both the Xinjiang of ancient manuscripts and the Xinjiang of reality fascinate him. "I want to introduce more people to Xinjiang to experience its rich culture and wonderful life for themselves," said Galambos.
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Source :Tianshannet