A Brief Survey
Dunhunag is situated at the westernmost end of the
Hexi Corridor. It was the most important station on the Silk
Road and was once called Sha. It has an area of 31,200
square kilometers and a population of around 110,000,most
of whom are Han; the ethnic minorities include Hui, Ti-
betan, Mongolian, Kazak, Tu, Tong, Miao, Man, Yugur, and
Korean. In Dunhuang,farming land occupies over 230,000
mu; the main crops are wheat, corn, cotton, melons, fruit,
and vegetables.
Scenic Spots
Dunhuang is the scenic highlight of the Silk Road in
China and certainly the major attraction for Gansu tourism.
The world--famous Mogao Grottoes are located 25 kilome-
ters southeast of Dunhuang. The caves are hewn in the steep
cliffs at the eastern foot of Mingsha Mountains. They are
both the greatest treasurehouse of Chinese classical art and
the center of Buddhist art.
Buddhism is one of the major world religions;it advo-
cates the theory that living beings are in a state of misery
and stresses self--cultivation during the present in search of
liberation from the cycle of reincarnation. These thoughts
were spread to China by way of Buddhist scriptures and art
and were merged with traditional Chinese culture and art.
As a result ,a unique Buddhist literature and art was formed
and Mogao Grottoes are the witness to such dissemination
and mergence.
Mogao Grottoes were begun in 366 AD. It is said that
when a monk named Le Zun passed this place ,he saw a sud-
den shining of golden light in which a thousand buddhas
seemed to have'revealed themselves; he believed that this
was a sacred place for Buddhists. He collected money from
all around and cut the first grotto. This news spread fast and
passing merchants and travellers all donated money for the
ject lasted more than 1,000 years, up until the Yuan Dy-
nasty. The total number of grottoes is 491 in which there are
over 2,000 sculptures and 45,000 square meters of murals.
If Dunhuang was made famous by Mogao Grottoes ,
then it is the murals ,especially the story telling murals ,that
made Mogao Grottoes known far and wide. The story murals
center mostly on Buddhist thought. They are roughly divisi-
ble into the following categories:scriptures, the biography
and stories (jatakas) of the Buddha,and other Buddhist his-
torical records.
They advocate the spirit of self--sacrifice and altruism.
For example,the stories of King Nine--Colored Deer (Cave
257),Prince Sudana Granting an Elephant (Caves 419,423,
428) ,Prince Mahasattva Feeding Tigers with His Own Flesh
(Caves 55,85,428),King Sudhira Giving His Eyes Away
(Cave 275), and King Tchandraprabha Giving His Head
Away (Cave 275).
They also advocate discipline and filial piety, e. g. :a
Sramanera Commits Suicide for Discipline (Caves 257 and
285);Sujati Slices Off His Own Flesh to Feed His Parents
(Caves 85 and 296) ,Samaka Waits upon His Parents in Deep
Mountains (Cave 293).
The theory of retribution is depicted in Bhiksuni Pat-
acara (Cave 296) and Inborn Hatred (Cave 171). The Power
of the Buddhist dharma is depicted in Sumati Invites the
Buddha (Cave 257), Raudraksa's Battle with Sariputra
(Cave 196). The human origins of Buddhas are depicted in
Biography of the Buddha (Cave 290) and Five Hundred Ban-
dits Become Buddhas (Caves 285 and 296). These murals
encouraged Buddhists to practice perseverance as in the Illu-
sion City in Lotus Sutra (Cave 217)and imitate the ways of
self--cultivation as depicted in the Sixteen Meditations in
Inborn Hatred.
The style of mural art reveals the exchange and blend-
ing of Chinese and Western cultures despite differences in
dress depicted in the early murals. The human figures and
their costume in the murals of the Northern Liang are most-
ly Indian and Persian: prominent noses and eyes , naked
above the waist,and dressed in cloaks ~Western Wei murals
depict the handsome features of the Southern Dynasties and
reflect the introduction of the Central Plains' style and the
sinicization of mural art . In the Northern Zhou, with the
fusion and harmonization of the Han and other ethnic groups
in Dunhuang and the expansion of the Chinese and western
cultural communications, the two art styles --- Central
Plains and Western Regions----moved from co--existence
to blending. As the depictions of the human figure indicate ,
the handsome features of the Central Plains were mixed
with the Western Regions' style of a strong constitution and
round facial features and produced a new image with the
strong points of both. Their dress has also changed from the
original bodhisattva and Western Regions' style to ordinary
clothes. Art of the Sui period inherited this blend,freed it-
self from outside influences and further developed a distinct
Chinese national art form. From that time to the high--
Tang, the mural art in Mogao Grottoes advanced toward
perfection.
The development of the colored sculptures shows the
same trends. These sculptures are of four sorts.tall , paste,
relief,and free standing. They are mainly images of the Bud-
dha and his disciples,gods and goddesses, flying devas,lay-
men,animals,picture patterns and niche lintel adornments.
The early scupltures bear the influence of India and the
Western Regions in their facial expression , stature, and
dress ;while in the Western Wei,they became handsome fig-
ures of the Southern Dynasties. The scupltors of the Sui
Dynasty sought to break the restrictions of carving only
Buddha images ,shatter the bondage of the artistic standards
from outside ,and create images of local color and character-
istics. In the Tang Dynasty,the sculptures were natural and
well-proportioned with plump facial features of fine com-
plexion. On this basis,there were gradual improvements.
West Thousand - Buddha Cave
The West Thousand - Buddha Cave is located in a cliff
on the Dang River 35 kilometers south of Dunhuang. It was
built about the same time as the Mogao Grottoes . It is a
component of the overall Dunhuang art complex;there are
16 grottoes. Most of these have a central seat with a Bud-
dha sculpture and niches all around and numbered story mu-
rals on the walls. In one cave of the Northern Wei ,the sto-
ries of Raudraksa's Battle with Sariputra and Samaka are
painted on the eastern and western sections of the south
wall;they are not found in the Northern Wei caves of Mogao
Grottoes.
escent Moon) Spring
The Mingsha Mountains extend 40 kilometers east-to-
west, 5 kilometers to the south of Dunhuang~the average
breadth is 20 kilometers. The southeast peak, 1,715 meters
above sea level, is the dominant point of the sand moun-
tains. The sands, sparkling in the sun ,are of several colors:
red ,yellow,green,white,and black. Sliding down from the
top you will hear an extraordinary whistle or even a sound
of thunder under certain conditions.
There are several popular explanations for the
whistling sound that occurs in these mountains. One story
goes that a general and his soldiers were defeated .here and
their corpses formed a huge pile ; during the night,a strong
wind blew the sand so that it buried their bodies;however,
their drums and horns are still audible. Another story says
that when the two armies were fighting,a great wind arose
and all the soldiers were buried alive by the shifting sand.
The whistling is the sound of their continued fighting. Still
another legend has it that a village here was buried by the
drifting sand during a Spring Festival when all the people
were celebrating the new year ;so the whistling is the beat of
their drum and their music. While these stories are pure fic-
tion, they have added some legendary flavor to Mingsha
Montains.
What is more wonderful is that the mountains embrace
a never--drying spring in the shape of a half moon. Half--
Moon Spring has been a scenic wonder for a long time and it
has enjoyed fame as the "First Spring Under Heaven". It is
218 meters long and 54 meters across at the widest place and
has an average depth of 5 meters. It has survived the drifting
sands and lies there pure and bright as it was thousands of
years ago. As people could not account for such a marvelous
sight,they made up a very interesting story about its origin.
During the Han Dynasties,General Li Guangli went on a
punitive expedition against the Dawan Kingdom and ob-
tained a celestial horse. Passing Mingsha Mountains on his
way back he was suffering badly from thirst. He thrust his
sword into the sand but no water came out. At this moment,
Avalokitesvara arrived. She poured out a few drops of magic
water from her bottle and chanted incantations so that the
Sand Dragon was locked up and the Half--Moon Spring was
formed.
Yang and Yumen Passes
Yang and Yumen Passes were two important passes a-
long the Silk Road closest to the Western Regions and their
remains have become one of the tourist attractions of Dun-
huang. Yang pass was situated 70 kilometers southwest and
Yumen Pass, 88 kilometers northwest of Dunhuang. The
ancient Yang Pass which was believed to have been on the
Gudong (Curios) Beach at the western corner of the South
Lake Village of Dunhuang no longer exists. The ruins of Yu-
men Pass, however, are well -- preserved. Beacon towers
stand at several kilometer intervals along the 70 kilometer
distance between the two passes. From the castle of Yumen
Pass the remains of the Han section of the Great Wall can be
clearly seen.
White Horse Pagoda
White Horse Pagoda is located south of the old town of
Dunhuang. It is 12 meters high with a diameter of about 7
meters. It was built in memory of the white horse of Ku-
marajiva, the. famous Buddhist monk and translator. Ku-
marajiva wa~ an Indian born in the Qiuzi Kingdom (Present
Kuqa of the Xinjiang Autonomous Region). He left home in
his childhood and received a strict religious education. When
he grew yp ,he became very well--known in the Western
Regions. Emperor Fu Jian of the Former Qin sent General
Lu Guang against Qiuzi and won Kumarajiva and some cul-
tural treasures. On the way back,Kumarajiva's white horse
died. Out of respect for the famous monk, local people
buried the horse and built the pagoda in its memory.
Local products
Dunhuang Blankets
Dunhuang blankets are known for their depiction of
Dunhuang art patterns. Made of high quality wool,they are
exquisitely beautiful and lustrous.
Crystal Spectacles
Made from natural rock crystals ,there are plain specta-
cles as well as spectacles for the myopic,presbyopic,and col-
or blind..
Mingsha Dates
These large,sweet lustrous dates are produced at the
foot of Mingsha Mountains.
Liguang(Plum Bright) Apricots
These golden colored apricots are juicy and have a sugar
content of 9,5 percent. They are bright and smooth as plums
and ripen in July.
Ziyan Peaches
Ripening in September, these peaches are hairless,
bright,sweet,soft,juicy,and have a greenish--violet color.
They are also known as Liguang Peaches.
Grapes
Dunhuang grapes are beneficial for vital energy and
physical health. They also improve urinary function.