Dunhuang: the treasure of ancient Chinese art

Dunhuang - Northwest region of China - is the starting point on the trade routes, also known as the "Silk Road" between China and the western regions. Not only beautiful in terms of position, Dunhuang is a place contains many art treasures of the ancient Chinese, has been recognized by UNESCO as world cultural heritage in 1987.

Mogao cave (Chinese: 莫高窟; pinyin: Gao groping Ku) is a system of 492 temples from downtown Dunhuang, Gansu Province, China 25 km to the southeast. This is also known as the Thousand Buddha Caves (kanji: 千佛洞; pinyin: Qian fó line) [1], or the Dunhuang caves. The cave is actually not dynamic but works carved in stone, carved in the form of stone architecture.

Mogao cave is a stone house with the largest scale, the most content-rich and most valuable Chinese art exists to this day. The main artworks in this stone house is the sculptures and frescoes. Currently this where there are 492 caves, frescoes 45.000m² and 2415 statues, 5 bungalow from Tang and Song dynasties. Mogao caves in 1987 was recognized by UNESCO as "World Cultural Heritage".

(According to Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia)

West of Hexi Corridor, on the southeastern mountainous district of Sa Ming Dunhuang of Gansu Province, has a towering cliff, above, includes a lot of caves that looks like a honeycomb. This is the famous Mogao China.


Dunhuang which has a long history. Book Cong Thuong Vu a record: "Three risk ie scouts". Through Tam Chau Joint immediate danger, this is the Dunhuang. Currently, dynamic south of Dunhuang also known as Mount Tam risk. Books often says, "Dancers of the Warring States era." Thus, Dunhuang has at least 2,000 years of history. At the time of Emperor Han Vo, Dunhuang was merged into the Han Dynasty map, and called Dunhuang also start from here. Geography a press Han says, "contemporary Dunhuang has 11,200 households, more than 38,000 people and export". Ung Han explained noun Us Dunhuang saying London is modern, Hoang Thanh. It can be seen, Dunhuang Han Martial Empire was flourishing.

Famous Dunhuang absolutely not due to its long history, which is known for the caves. Thach district from North to South Mogao 1.618m long, this zone remains 492; This area of ​​the quartz, now more than 1,000 statues preserved frescoes and relatively perfect. According to statistics, if the link of this mural, they have length from 50-60 miles. Therefore, Dunhuang was considered a major art museums and the most spectacular in the world. Thach also host multiple zones of ancient, classical, precious silk paintings, magnificent, beautiful.


Dunhuang Mogao Thach district building at the time Wei Xun early Northern and Southern Dynasties, and the Sui is the most prosperous period. The construction of the first fossil zones related to a thrilling legend is as follows: In the 2nd year Kien Nguyen Tien Qin reign (366 years), there is a venerable brand Ton Lac traveled south to Mount Tam Risk Dunhuang city. At this time, the sun was about to set, but still find no place Venerable accommodation. He watched the frustration away. Suddenly, a strange sight appeared: on Mount Tam Risk emits light shining solemn, like the halo of the Buddhas. Venerable deeply moved, bowed hastily, and said that this is the sign of the Buddha instructs: "It is holy!". Then he quickly turned around the coast, raise a larger amount, and called him to jelly parks open. When the first fossil at the Mogao zones appear, quad Buddhists everywhere to worship. Not long after, the teacher salary from Eastern France to open more next Monday agar agar parks his area Ton Lac (By "epitaph am restored Buddhist Mogao zone" of Li Huai Franchise - dating Sacred Calendar, Zhou, Tang).

In fact, the light that Venerable Lac Ton see, only the light emission on the lava when the sun was about to set. This scene can now remain visible. At the time, people do not explain this natural spectacle, they were devout Buddhist, so that it is the aura of the Buddha. From then on, fossil area famous Dunhuang started, the local members, merchants, civilians, even those courtiers, foreign princess, for continued blessing that opened the fossil area large and small. To Tang, the Mogao became Buddhist shrine with more than 1,000 fossil area, so also known as the "Thousand Buddha Caves".


Art is not alone in Dunhuang Mogao area, but also in Thousand Buddha Caves, Yulin area and Ethan launched. However, due to the amount of work, artistic achievement, as well as the most perfect preservation, should fossil Mogao zone automatically selected to represent the art of Dunhuang. Therefore, in this essay, we mainly introduced to the art of Mogao fossil zones.

Mogao art area mainly statues and frescoes. Date ancient art traditions inherited great money, a lot of creative characteristics statue color. But the statues here are made of earth, other than the fossil rock statues at Longmen zone, Xinjiang. Because of the rock material is quite coarse risk Tam, a statue can not be, so the use of land for new artists statuary. With these simple tools, under difficult conditions, with a rich imagination and virtuosity of his technique, the artist has composed many of the statues nicely nuanced colors vary.

Northern Wei statues life appearance tall, broad forehead, nose, eyebrows long, curly hair, topless, with bold shades of Indian art. Tang statues, plump face, gentle, big ears, nose low, asymmetric appearance, style Chinese nation.

Tang Mogao subject area reached its artistic peak. A total of more than 670 statues, representing more than 1/4 of the sculpture statue here. These statues were entirely different aspect - facial harmony, charisma dignified, elegant attire. Uranus phenomenon reflected the style of man reserves: stately, upright, strong, resilient. Bodhisattva Statue ethereal appearance, plump face, smiling, vivid lifelike, showing the beauty of the living reality of life Sui woman.

According to statistics, a total area Mogao 2,415 statues, the tallest of which more than 30 meters, equivalent to half the height of money into Beijing floor; smallest audience of just over 10cm, exquisite sculptures. These statues represent not only creative talent, wisdom Vietnamese of Chinese ancient artisans, but also form the development history of statuary art through Chinese dynasties.

Mogao frescoes as special zones more. Family art using crayons, paint vivid scenes on a lot of walls. Major contents of the mural are: economic variables, responsibility birth, statues, statues and other people offering jewelry.

Economic variables: economic, Buddha only economic; variable, variable service. Means the paintings of Buddha turned into visualizations. Economic variables, are paintings of Buddha. These paintings occupy key part in caves. As "pure variable Westerners", the painter uses his imagination, the world of Ultimate Bliss tableaux: Palace of magnificent palaces, pure water ponds, beautiful linden, natural wall not so fly , waterfowl pond wings outstretched, the center is Amida is presentable on a lotus, flanked by two bodhisattva Avalokitesvara and mahasthamaprapta, with a lot of them surrounded the Holy.

Bon birth: Bon birth is only the stories Buddha Shakyamuni precursor Quartet we Buddhists believe in reincarnation, for that Sakyamuni before the director has gone through many lifetimes, with the monarch's life, monks, merchants ... do a lot of good deeds to save sentient beings, this is the main story in Jataka. Typically the caves north of the 275, there are frescoes describe TI King story, because at the pigeon hawk about to be eaten, their meat offered for the falcon. In the mural, next to King TI was a man sitting cuts of meat, cut a lot, but not by weight pigeons, finally had to take the king's body weights, and pigeons are placed on you need. Thach district No. 254, shows the story of Prince Slapping duties being Doa Na. 3 frescoes depicting hunting equestrian prince, middle of the road saw a hungry tiger, tiger glowered 7 children just born. Watch out, if nothing stomach lining, afraid it would eat seven cubs. Prince Slapping Doa cubs Na compassion, decided to sacrifice his life to save us. Prince for him to go ahead, but they themselves took off my clothes, lying in front of the mother tiger. Through a long moment, he did not see the two of you where to go to find a new, visible clothing and bones of children, heartbreaking unconscious. King and Queen after hearing the news, the infinite grief, immediately to build a stupa right where selflessness to Prince burial remains prince ...

Statues: the picture painted Buddha images, Bodhisattva, Arhat, lord Buddha sermon mural map ... In the statue, the most attention is the non-natural phenomenon. Africa's first celestial images in the imagination of the ancients, hovered in the air of freedom, Buddhism called "Huong Than Music", could tunes, dancing, full body flavor shine. Tao is also the first Western Bowl, called angels. Angels have wings, can fly. Taoism also had first believed, often painting the clouds at the foot of faeries, first expressed monks riding clouds. However, non-bias of the Mogao frescoes area combines both theory above. The good professor just draw graphics on the body belt devas two-wire adventure, a swing a folding, a micro state should look first becomes gentle, smooth as flying. This method is simple, ingenious, imaginative back.

Statue offerings: just who made donations fossil tectonic zones, they want to paint their pictures on the walls, statues of Buddha wanted to show caves are offered by them, and so, Buddhas and Bodhisattvas will upholding them. Those offerings are social real person, whose name has aged with dignity. Among them were the religious aristocracy, also inhabited in the lowest position. As fossil area 107, with the object of female engineering etc ...

Statues and frescoes depicting the history has vividly era. Art reflects real life, religion at the time. Walks through superstition, magic curtain Buddha, we can recognize the times look a particular way, the relationship between man and man, between caste and caste ... Period Wei Xun South North Dynasty, social chaos, South North Changjiang, Han and nomadic tribes authority is established, relentless war, class struggle, struggle crisscross the nation, the people fall into misery. These constitute a major part of the mural plaster areas. Although the art of Mogao area mostly Buddhist story of, but with skilled engineering graphics high, sometimes they also render the class struggle in society a reality, as demonstrated major achievements Plaster art of Mogao area.

As in plaster mural area south of the 285, we see 5 besiegers the robbers were captured, and being ruled. A high crown ruler wide belt, sentencing: hook eye. So is this the robbers stripped off her clothes, was going binocular hook, throw open field, players are not living well, wanting to die but can not finish. It's nothing tragic in!

One other frescoes depicting scenes of life in the near Putuo Mountain. In painting there are many inns: Longquan bar someone was pounding rice, Mini Linh Export someone is pushing millstones, Taiyuan bar someone was sharpening knives; Meeting people in the temple with oats, the monks are active; guys who go back on the road, the air was boisterous. This is a vivid picture of the early Song Dynasty Wutai. In the mural plaster zone 45, we can see some Lake merchant family, high nose, deep eyes, bushy beard is full of goods Sliding pack donkey herd, go into the paint cup. Suddenly, the delegation met footpad merchants, they clasped hands begged for mercy, goods scattered all over the ground. The painting reflects China foreign trade situation ...

These vivid frescoes are not only religious art, but also the historical paintings, cultural heritage is brighter, splendor of the Chinese nation, describe social reality, evident joy one was human anger, simultaneously, also reflects the brutality and deceit of the ruling class.

Ming Qing period later, jelly Mogao area buried in the desert, not people pay attention to, until 1900, the Mogao beginners restore.

Dated 26-5-1900, hermit United Clerk residence in the Mogao, at liquidation sand, discovered north walls have cracks. Where doubt that, once discovered by accident became important event in the history of human culture of the twentieth century.

United Magi handed knock on the wall, discovered inside the hollow sound echoed. Mr. Wang broke down the walls, find a small door, inside door is a room filled with precious objects, such as: business books, writing, silk painting, painting, air ... It measures later called surprising the museum. In the objects discovered, there is some material extremely valuable culture of 1,000 years of feudal society, is the treasure of the Chinese nation.

According to research by archaeologists, Xixia period dominated Dunhuang (after 1049), the Venerable in the Mogao for asylum, should bring history museum located in this room, outside is up a picture room occupancy wall. After fray end, nobody Sayadaws the back, the room became known secret.

United hermit completely unaware of the value of things, should voluntarily bring a few of these items donated to the district chief Wang Tong Limited. He donated to the Diep Term Bone Factory. Mr. Xi is a famous fossil educated needle, so for those relics treasured. But that time the Qing government corruption, not mindful of things like this document. Thus, each foreign expedition, like Britain, Russia, Hungary, France ... to find treasures Mogao area, a large number of their treasures were carried away, severely damaging some frescoes, forever until such treasures Mogao remaining area how much Chinese people interested beginners.

Release times, the Mogao be known the party and the government; 1950, the Department of Cultural Studies Dunhuang materials was established, the Mogao thereby restored. Ovum member on the Silk Road began to glow!

Today, the Dunhuang art world scholars to pay attention to, conducting extensive research, formed a specialized research, called the Dunhuang study, has repeatedly held seminars have provided school Dunhuang world model. Ancient art of Dunhuang was nationally known, the artwork becomes rare treasures worldwide.