Zhang Baoxi Biography

Zhang Baoxi (June 1935–June 2017), born in Qingyang, Gansu province, was an archaeologist, a research librarian at Gansu Provincial Institute of Cultural Relics and Archaeology, a part-time research fellow at Dunhuang Academy, a member of the Council of Photography of Chinese Society of Cultural Relics, and a famous grotto arts researcher and archaeologist in Gansu.

Zhang began working in August 1954 and pursued further study in the Arts Department of Northwest Normal College (the current Northwest Normal University) in 1958. Zhang was transferred to Gansu Provincial Museum in 1959 and retired in 1996.

During his nearly 40 years of career, Zhang made significant contributions to the cultural relics and museum undertakings of Gansu province, especially in grotto archaeology and Buddhist art studies. Zhang edited and published Bingling Temple Grottoes, Longdong Grottoes, Gansu Grotto Arts - Sculpture, Gansu Grotto Arts - Murals, Buddhist Stone Statues in Gansu, Bingling Temple in the Past, Complete Works of Chinese Art Categories: Complete Works of Dunhuang Grotto Murals - Volume 11: Maiji Mountain and Bingling Temple, The Beiliang Votive Stupa, Grotto Arts of the Western Xia Regime of Dunhuang East Thousand Buddha Caves in Guazhou, Hexi Grottoes of the Northern Dynasties, etc. In the tomb murals area, Zhang published Tomb Murals of the Wei-Jin and Sixteen States Period in Jiayu Pass and Jiuquan and its book series. Zhang was also invited to photograph and publish large catalogs including Chinese Grottoes - Bingling Temple in Yongjing, and Chinese Grottoes - Maiji Mountain in Tianshui. In his lifetime, Zhang published more than 40 academic papers. His cultural relics photography works Bronze Galloping Horse, and Western Grottoes - Qin Xiuyan Jade with Red and Green Patterns were both awarded the third prizes at the first and second National Cultural Relic Photography Exhibitions.

Retirement didn't put an end to Zhang Baoxi's efforts to study and research the Buddhist arts. He paid field visits to Gansu, Qinghai, Henan, Shaanxi and other places and published multiple highly cited articles, making crucial contributions to the cultural relics undertaking of Gansu province, and leaving us with valuable cultural heritage.