School of History, Religions and Philosophies

Professor Hai Du

Key information

Department
School of History, Religions and Philosophies
Subject
China and Inner Asia

Biography

Hai Du is an Associate Professor at the Institute of Dunhuang Studies, Lanzhou University, specialising in Dunhuang and Turfan studies and the history and archaeology of the Silk Road. 

He works on Sogdian communities in medieval China and their connections with Central Asia and Iran, combining multilingual texts with archaeological evidence. From 2026 to 2027, he is a Research Associate at SOAS University of London, collaborating with Professor Almut Hintze on Textual Cultures and Archaeological Evidence: Elucidating the History of the Silk Road (3rd to 11th centuries).

Key publications

  • Du Hai，On the history of the Sogdian Surname Zhaowu, Central Asiatic Journal vol.68, No.1+2 (2025)
  • Zheng Binglin & Du Hai, The role of the Hexi Corridor in the Tang’s governance of the Western Regions, Journal of Minzu University of China, No.5, 2025
  • Du Hai, “Study of the He Family of Sogdians in the Northern Dynasties”, The Western Regions Studies, No. 1, 2024
  • Du Hai, “Migration History and Genealogical Lineage: The Ancestral Narrative Construction of the Dunhuang Suo Clan”, Journal of Historical Materials on the Wei Jin Southern-Northern Sui & Tang Dynasties, No. 1, 2024
  • Du Hai, “How did the Sogdian people integrate into the Chinese ethnic group?”, Historical Review，No.6，2022
  • Du Hai & Guo Yang, “A Review on the Study of Sogdians in Turpan Area”, Turfanological Research, No.1,2021
  • Du Hai, “Research on Prince of Khotan and Prince of Cao family in Dunhuang”, Dunhuang Research, No.6, 2019
  • Du Hai, “Discussing on Dunhuang manuscripts S.6111+S.10595 of Shuyijing（《书仪镜》）”，The Documentation, No.6, 2014
  • Zheng Binglin & Du Hai, “Contend for Succesion After the Jiedushi( Military Commander of Dunhuang) Cao Yijin—Focusing on the Titles Guotai and Shangshu”, Journal of Dunhuang Studies,Vol.4, 2014
  • E. D. Grinstead; Du Hai（translate）, “Tangut Fragments in the British Museum”, Tangut Research, No.1, 2013
Books
  • Du Hai, Comprehensive History of Dunhuang: Volume on the Wei, Jin, and Northern Dynasties, Gansu Education Publishing House, 2023.07, 460,000 words (ISBN:978-7-5423-5570-6)
  • Du Hai, Comprehensive History of Dunhuang: Volume on the Guiyijun during the Five Dynasties and Early Song Dynasty, Gansu Education Publishing House, 2023.07, 435,000words (ISBN:978-7-5423-5569-0)

Research interests

  • Dunhuang and Turpan studies
  • History and archaeology of the Silk Road (3rd to 11th centuries)

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