Dunhuang is located in the southwest of Gansu. The ancient Silk Road passed here after Gansu Corridor. Dunhuang was the last stop on the Silk Road before the West Asia, also the last stop for an east-bound journey before the Central Plain. The significance of Dunhuang lies in its grottoes, mural caves refusing to go under yellow sands. These grottoes are museums of ancient arts and the intersection of Western and Oriental civilizations. These caves document cultural exchanges, a witness of the significant Silk Road. Among all, Mogao Grottoes are representative. These caves were cut on a cliff 25 kilometers southeast to Dunhuang, on a mountain called Mingsha. Beginning from 366 A.D., during the ensuing 1000 years, more stone caves were seen, eventually formed a 1680-meter long south-north complex, with 735 caves from different dynasties.
The complex has two areas, the south and north. The 492 caves in the south were for a worshipping purpose. They have over 2,000 color statues, 45,000 square-meter frescoes, and five wood eave structures. The 243 caves in the north were for monks to live, for a religious practice and a tomb yard. No color sculptures and frescoes are there. Dunhuang art has architecture, color sculptures and murals in one.
During the Sui and Tang Dynasties, Dunhuang art reached its prime. Images presented were no longer alien, but Chinese, female and worldly, in a singing or dancing performance. A merry mood and a high-life style were obvious. Flying deities exhibited a Western and Eastern cultural combination. Dunhuang art embraced different cultures. Because of this it was full of vitality.
Technically, Dunhuang art adopted Chinese delineation and Western patch coloring. Human expressions were rendered life-like.
After Sui Dynasty, the fresco art was mature during Tang Dynasty. Spectacular palaces, grand landscape, all found their way into a Chinese painting. Big subject matter was possible through matured Chinese painting techniques.
Dancing images in Dunhuang frescoes are a brilliant gem for all human beings. This reversed pipa-playing pose stimulated the idea for Silk Road and Flying Deities, a dance drama highly successful in and outside China.
Over 200 caves have music as their theme. Band images of varied sizes are over 500, 4,500 musical pieces in 40 kinds. Researcher are able to recognize some of them, pi pa, kong hou, qiang di and hu jiao. But their ethereal ensemble is no longer available.
The fast moving twirling dance is West Asian. Bai Juyi once exclaimed, “Never fatigued from twirling, turn after turn for no end.” It is said that An Lushan and the Royal Concubine Yang were two best dancers in this style. Just imagine the grandeur of a huge performance by several hundred people. It was the hallmark of powerful Tang Dynasty. The Emperor of Xuanzong was said able to direct such a grand show, and was able to tell even a slight mistake when it occurred. Such a grand scene is only available in those frescoes.
Sand control is a key issue to Mogao Grottoes. With the Western Development, ecology is emphasized. Sand damage will leave Dunhuang for sure.
Protective medicine injected into murals prevents a natural deterioration. Copying down everything, using replicas for exhibitions, is probably the most effective measure. The last hundred-year history in Dunhuang has seen many youths and lives sacrificed. Tragic history has stimulated a harder academic study. Chinese people won't be left behind. This is the wish of whole nation.
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