Over the past decade, Tibetological studies have been developed in depth. People have switched to focus on Tibetan Buddhist arts and gradually realized that those artistic works implying wisdom and aesthetic ideals are the key to reveal the mystery of perfect harmony between Buddhist doctrines and spiritual world of Tibetan people. As research on historical documents and commentaries of religious doctrines can not satisfy our desire to probe into spiritual world and aesthetic intention of Tibetan people, while the highest state of religious research is to probe into the hidden medium that communicates religious doctrine and relates thoughts of believers. Its externalized form is the religious image arts. Although it has its own image-making standards, features of image making in artistic works decides that religious artistic works, unlike unalterable documentary sutras that are completely limited to religious rituals, are believers' visual understanding of religious doctrine, thus an expression mode of religious image in it reflects common people's understanding of religious doctrines.

Study of religious arts suggests that study of a religion is reaching in mature stage, and this is an essential phase of religious study. Such is the exact case for Tibetan Buddhism. Italian Tibetologist, Professor Guiseppe Tucci started, and then followed by many renowned Tibetologists, to research on Tibetan history and religions via analysis of artistic works. In recent years, this trend continues, and some scholars in Tibetological circles at home and abroad who were originally engaged in study of Tibetan religions, history and languages successively shifted to studying Tibetan Buddhist arts. This reflects a thriving and promising prospect for study of Tibetan arts.

Throughout the history of Tibetan art studies, although it has been nearly a century since Sergi F. Oldenburg, Russian Sanskrit expert and Tibetologist, started his research on Anthology of Three Hundred Buddha Images and the picture of Tibetan Buddhism unearthed in Trochu city at the beginning of the 20th century, compared with other fields of Tibetological studies at home and abroad, Tibetan art studies are still at the initial and developing stages. In the past two decades, there were numerous painting anthologies about Tibetan arts published in western languages. However, among the early publications, few painting anthologies were Tibetan arts in real sense except for some pictorial records edited for museums and specific exhibitions. In the 1980s to 1990s, a number of pictorial records up to academic level appeared. With regard to research, the works including the four-volume albums India - Tibet and Tibetan Painting Scrolls (1930s to 1940s) and Transhimalaya (Ancient Civilizations) (1973) by Professor Guiseppe Tucci laid a solid foundation for Tibetan art studies in western countries. In past decade, some works up to academic level were published abroad, but most studies focused on mural paintings in Tibetan Buddhist monasteries in the mountainous areas of Himalaya in western Tibet.

Cultural relic preservation in Tibet played a primary role in promoting study of Tibetan art in the past two decades. After the founding of New China, the government attached much importance to preservation of cultural relics and historical sites in Tibet, organized renown scholars and experts to participate in general investigation on Tibetan cultural relics, carried out archeological recordings for major monasteries in various areas in Tibet, and preserved enormous original data and picture data. This provides basis for later renovation of these monasteries. Ever since then, Tibet Autonomous Region promulgated the regulations on cultural relic preservation, and established a special organization for cultural relic preservation. Since the implementation of reform and opening up, the central government has invested an enormous sum in renovating major monasteries in various areas in Tibet, such as Sagya Monastery, Zhalu Monastery, Samye Monastery, and ruins of Guge Kingdom in Ngari etc. The major buildings such as the Potala Palace, Jokhang Monastery and `The Norbu Lingka etc., which were in the World Cultural Heritage List, have undergone multiple major renovations, and some medium and small monasteries such as Nyethang Monastery, Drathang, and Minzhoiling Monastery etc. have also been repaired. Presently, there are a total of 35 cultural relics under state-level preservation in Tibet. Renovation of cultural relics has protected Tibetan art heritages that survive today, and popularization of laws and regulations on cultural relic preservation has improved Tibetan people's awareness on cultural relic preservation. In recent years, a number of cultural relics that were rarely known in the past were discovered in various areas in Tibet. This achievement should be attributed to popularization of cultural relic preservation laws.

With regard to publications on Tibetan arts in our country, Tibetan Buddhist Arts edited by Mr. Liu Yisi was published by Cultural Relics Publishing House in 1957. The editor of this publication has an exceptional insight and the works it collects have been widely cited. Knowledge and Information about Tibetan Relics by Wang Yi is a work summary for inspection of Tibetan cultural relics. Tibetan Woodcut Buddhist Sculptures edited by Mr. Wen Jinyang collects fine woodcut sculptures produced by Dege Scriptures Printing Hall, of which the pictures have been appraised by Sherab Rgyatso. In the past decade, numerous painting anthologies on Tibetan arts were published in our country, and special painting anthologies or archeological excavation and maintenance reports for the Potala Palace, Jokhang Monastery, Sera Monastery, Palkor Chode Monastery, Tashilhunpo Monastery, Labrang Monastery, Kumbum Monastery and ruins of Guge Kingdom in Ngari including Toling Monastery etc. were published. Among these albums and reports, Ancient Town of Guge Kingdom written by Zhang Jianlin, et al. and edited by Tibet Administrative Committee of Cultural Relics is most eminent. Directory of Tibetan cultural relics of various counties were also published by Tibet People Publishing House. Some grotto mural paintings in Ngari that were rarely known, such as mural paintings in Donggar Grottoes, were also gradually released to the public. Special painting anthologies on Tibetan Buddhism were also successively complied and published, including Tibetan Thangka, Masterpieces of Tibetan Cultural Relics and Mural Painting Art of Tibetan Buddhist Monasteries edited by Tibet Administrative Committee of Cultural Relics, Tibetan Arts edited by Han Shuh from the Tibetan Artists Association and Tibetan Buddhist Cultural Relics in Imperial Palaces of the Qing Dynasty, Image and Style Golden and Bronze Buddha Statues of 771betan Buddhism in the Palace Museum etc. edited by the Palace Museum.

A number of painting anthologies on Tibetan Buddhist arts were also published by nationwide scientific research institutes for cultural relics and museology. Special painting anthologies such as No. 464 Grotto of Mogao Grottoes and No. 465 Grotto published by Dunhuang Academy and the painting anthology Gansu Grotto Mural Paintings edited by Zhang Baoxi provide guiding exemplary works for understanding of the relation between Tibetan Buddhist paintings and Dunhuang paintings and Xixia Tibetan Buddhist arts. Collection of China Mural Paintings Tibetan Buddhist Monastery Volume edited by professor Jin Weinuo from Central Academy of Fine Arts collects the most precious mural paintings of medium and small monasteries in Central Tibet in the 11th to 15th century, including those in Drathang, Zhalu Monastery and Palkor Chode Monastery. The six-volume Collection of China Tibetan Buddhist Sculptures edited by Professor Jin Weinuo and published recently almost includes all sculpture works discovered in recent years. Golden and Bronze Buddha Statues of Tibetan Buddhism published by the People Art Publishing House collectively demonstrates the golden and bronze Buddha statues of Tibetan Buddhism collected by administrative departments of cultural relics. The five-volume Treasures edited by Jia Yang from Tibet Administrative Committee for Cultural Relics and published by Chaohua Publishing House also includes enormous new data, such mural paintings in Jokhang Monastery during Tubo Period and Thangka from Toling Monastery, and full pictures of some precious cultural relics were first published.

In fact, a number of valuable painting anthologies on Tibetan Buddhist arts and some individual works with academic value were published in the past decades, including Archaeological Study on Tibetan Buddhist Monasteries written by Su Bei. The author provides brilliant treatises on Tibetan Buddhist historical sites in Hexi region and Hangzhou in Yuan Dynasty, including Mogao Grottoes, Yulin Grottoes etc. In general, in academic sense, studies of Tibetan Buddhist arts has just started. Except for the works written by Tibetan scholars via traditional methods of representation (such as the works by Tenpa Radan from department of fine arts of Tibet University and Gonchog Tenzin from Garze Prefecture Sichuan Province), archaeological excavation reports and studies of ruins of Guge Kingdom in Ngari and ancient remains in Tubo period and translations of foreign academic works, previous studies only provided general introduction and description of Tibetan Buddhist arts. In 1991, professor Jin Weinuo from Central Academy of Fine Arts started to work with professor Wang Yao from Central University for Nationalities to enroll Ph.D. candidates who grasp Tibetan language for studying Tibetan Buddhist arts. This drew the prelude of cultivating high level talents for Tibetan Buddhist arts. Later, China Institute for Tibetology of Sichuan University established a doctor program in Tibetan archaeology major, and the department of fine arts of Tibet University started to enroll graduate students in traditional Tibetan art major; In 1999, Tibet Museum was put into use; in 2006, Tibet Institute for Cultural Relics was inaugurated; at the beginning of 2006, the Chinese and Tibetan Buddhist Art Institute was jointly established by Capital Normal University and the Palace Museum. This institute is engaged in exchange and study of Chinese and Tibetan Buddhist arts and enrolls Ph. D. candidates for research on Chinese and Tibetan Buddhist arts. It is worth mentioning that the newly-established Capital Museum sets up a special exhibition hall for golden and bronze Buddha statues of Tibetan Buddhism. Tibetan Buddhist cultural relics collected in museums such as Capital Museum, Palace Museum, Capital Art Museum, Yonghe Palace, Baita Monastery etc. and other monasteries are the concentrated demonstration of Tibetan artistic works outside Tibetan regions and have become an attractive window for protection and introduction of Tibet culture.

In recent years, great development has been achieved in studies of Tibetan Buddhist arts. A number of young scholars set study of Tibetan arts as their direction of development, and published many academic essays and some works. For example, Pesang Wandul from Tibet Academy of Social Sciences is engaged in explanation and study of stone-carved inscriptions during Tubo Period and the relevant documents on art history; Xu Xinguo from Qinghai Institute of Archaeology and Tang Huisheng from Nanjing Normal University are engaged in study of Tibetan Buddhist cultural sits within Qinghai Territory; Tibetan young scholar Xiong Wenbin from China Tibetology Research Center is devoted to study of mural paintings in the monasteries in Central Tibet as well as mural paintings in Zhalu Monastery and Han-Tibet art exchange history in the Yuan Dynasty, and published Tibetan Buddhist Arts of the Middle Ages and Sino-Tibetan Art Exchange in the Yuan Dynasty; Xie Jisheng from Capital Normal University focuses on study of Xixia Tibetan Buddhist paintings in recent years, published Tibetan Buddhist Paintings in Xixia and embarked on investigation on the remains of Tibetan Buddhist arts around China, especially grotto mural paintings on Tibetan Buddhism in upstream of Yellow River within Qinghai Territory, Tsongchu Valley and Hexi Corridor; Sun Changsheng from Ningxia Institute of Archaeology conducts analysis on the artistic works in Xixia Tibetan Buddhist style surviving at Helan Mountain in Ningxia and the documents on Iconography in Xixia language; scholars such as Zhang Jianlin from Shanxi Institute of Archaeology, Huo Wei and Li Yongxian from Sichuan University and Xiage Wangui from Tibet Museum etc. are engaged in archaeological research on Buddhist grottos and monasteries in western Tibet, have acquired necessary data via field investigation and published Toling Monastery, Buddhist Civilization in Western Tibet etc.; With unique advantages, Wang Jiapeng and Luo Wen from the Palace Museum are devoted to appraisal and study of golden and bronze Buddha statues of Tibetan Buddhism in the Imperial Palace and investigation on the remains and the relevant organizations and artist groups of Tibetan Buddhist art in the palaces of the Ming and Qing dynasties; Ge Wanzhang from the National Palace Musem in Taibei is good at maintenance and renovation of Thangka and carried out in-depth investigation on Tibetan Buddhist cultural relics in the National Palace Museum in Taibei; Zhang Yasha from Central University for Nationalities carried out year-long investigation on mural paintings in Drathang and Tibetan Buddhist arts in Tubo Period and put forward his own views, and he is about to publish Mural Paintings of Drathang; Wu Mingdi from Capital Normal University has composed The History of Han-Tibetan Art & Craft Exchange, the first systematic works of its kind  in our country; Li Ling from the National Museum and Huang Chunhe from Capital Museum are engaged in appraisal of golden and bronze Buddha statues of Tibetan Buddhism and study of Tibetan Buddhist iconography; Jin Jia from China Art Institute and Ye Xingsheng from China Tibetology Research Center show concern over where Tibetan Buddhist relics go from the perspective of art market; Li Qinpu from Luxun Academy of Fine Arts conducted in-dept analysis on Tibetan Buddhist stone-carved statues and incantations in northeast China in the Ming Dynasty.

It is worth mentioning that in recent years, Tibetan Buddhist art researchers in various regions in our country have worked closely together for development and dissemination of Tibetan Buddhist arts. They have started to carry out systematic investigation and planned to publish a series of books on studies of Chinese and Tibetan Buddhist arts, including Tibetan Buddhist Arts in the South of Yangtze River, The Development History of Chinese-Tibetan Buddhist Arts, Study of Dunhuang Tubo Paintings, Grotto and Monastery Mural Paintings of Tibetan Buddhism in Northwest China in the Ming Dynasty etc., which are under compilation presently.

With regard to research method, foreign scholars mostly focus on analyzing individual artistic works which are handed down for generations, while scholars in our country focus more on field investigation and exploration of overall style, with emphasis on applications of documents in Chinese and Tibetan. Compared with other fields in Tibetological study, current Tibetan art study in our country has robust development momentum although starting comparatively late, and it is close to the research level abroad in some aspects. In addition, many researchers have received sufficient academic trainings in ethnic languages, foreign languages and artistic history research.

With regard to research team, persons engaged in teaching, scientific research and management in higher educational institutions, research institutes and departments for cultural relics and museology constitute the principal part of the research team in studies of Tibetan arts. In addition, there are quite a large number of Tibetan art lovers and collectors around our country. They jointly promote Tibetan art studies and collection upsurge in recent years. The most outstanding representatives are study of Tibetan Buddhist stone sculptures in Feilai Peak by Lan Tianfei from Zhejiang Archeology Society and collections of Tsa-tsa (Mold-release clay sculptures) Liu Dong from Tianjin and Li Yi from Changzhou.

Researchers for studies of Tibetan Buddhism keep close contact with their foreign peers and there are cooperative projects between them. Advocated by scholars in our country, the International Conference on Tibetan Archaeology and Art have been held twice starting from 2002. The 3rd conference with the theme of Han-Tibet Buddhist art exchange will be held this October, and presently, 25 foreign scholars and 25 domestic scholars have express their intent to participate in the conference. Scholars suggest at this conference to establish an organization for promoting coordination of international studies of Tibetan Buddhist arts, which will be located at Chinese and Tibetan Buddhist Art Institute of Capital University. In addition, the organization published a professional artistic journal on Tibetan archaeology and art and will set the International Conference on Tibetan Archaeology and Art as its regular meeting. All previous sessions of the International Conference on Tibetan Archaeology and Art got instructions and help from Association for Preservation and Development of Tibetan Culture, and the high level training classes jointly carried out by the organization for cultivating Tibetan art research personnel also got great support from the association. We hereby extend our heartfelt gratitude to Chinese Association for Preservation and Development of Tibetan Culture.

As studies of Tibetan art are still at the starting stage, young Tibetan art researchers in our country are facing an arduous task. For example, our research presently only involves a small part of Tibetan art, so far no complete works on Tibetan Buddhist art history has been published, no individual research has been carried out for most mural paintings in Tibetan Buddhist monasteries, little is known about traditional Tibetan painting styles and genres, and there are few professionals engaged in studies of Tibetan arts around our country. Except for the remains of mural paintings in monasteries in Tibet and other Tibetan regions and works handed down for generations discovered in recent years, there are a large amount of early grotto mural paintings on Tibetan Buddhism in other regions beyond Tibetan regions, such as Ordos Plateau in Inner Mongolia, east foot of Helan Mountain in Ningxia and the entire Hexi Corridor. So far, no one has ever been engaged in serious study of these mural paintings that provide historical data and academic value on research of the history of relation between Tibet, Xixia and Mongolia. Moreover, from the perspective of research history of Tibetan art, many western scholars for study of Tibetan Buddhist arts essentially regard Tibetan Buddhist arts as the appendages of Indian and Nepalese arts or a variant of East Indian Pala arts, consciously and unconsciously opposed or neglected the inherited relation between Tibetan arts and arts in hinterland of China. For example, the art of Tibetan Buddhism in Snga dar was greatly affected by that from hinterland of China. The earliest Tibetan paintings that now can be still seen now are silk paintings from Dunhang, which incorporated the unique styles of Han and Tibetan arts. These styles can be seen in the paintings of Central Tibet during 11th - 13 rd century, such as in the mural paintings from Ewang Choden Monastery and Drathang etc., but many books in western languages did not regard the paintings from Dunhuang as Tibetan paintings. The development of Tibetan Thangka experienced almost the same situation, scroll paintings represented by Xuan paper and decoration in the hinterland of China in the Song Dynasty played an important role in the formation of Tibetan Thangka, but when it comes to origin of Tibetan Thangka, such evident fact is rarely seen in works in almost all western languages.

It is now the time for the Tibetological circle of China to start systematic research on Tibetan Buddhist arts. Let's jointly strive for prosperity and development of Tibetan arts.

Xie Jisheng, Professor of Capital Normal University

Oct. 11, 2006