By the end of 2021, there are 56 World Heritage Sites in China.
Among these many cultural heritages, there is one that is extremely special and mysterious, and even a discipline dedicated to its study has been derived from it.
It is the Mogao Caves.
Mogao Grottoes, commonly known as the Thousand Buddha Caves, is one of the four major grottoes in China, located in Dunhuang at the western end of the Hexi Corridor.
Many people must have heard of it, but not necessarily.
However, have you ever thought:
In the next 50 to 100 years,
Dunhuang Mogao Grottoes,
This place that records human civilization,
May disappear.
What can we do when it is buried little by little by the yellow sand?
Dunhuang, now a county-level city under the jurisdiction of Jiuquan City in Gansu Province, is the westernmost point of the Hexi Corridor.
The term "Dunhuang" was first mentioned in the "History of Dawan Lie": "The First Moon Clan lived in Dunhuang and Qilianjian".
In 111 BC, the Han Dynasty officially established Dunhuang County.
The meaning of Dunhuang is first seen in the Eastern Han Dynasty Ying Shao's annotation to the Book of Han: "Dun, Daye." Huang, Sheng also. ”
Later, Li Jifu of the Tang Dynasty compiled the "Atlas of Yuanhe Counties", which further recorded: "Dun, Daye. It is famous for its wide open western region. ”
Therefore, "Dunhuang" means grand splendor.
Ji Xianlin once said: "There are only four cultural systems in the world with a long history, a vast territory, a self-contained system, and far-reaching influence: China, India, Greece, islam, and there is no fifth, and there is only one place where these four cultural systems converge, that is, China's Dunhuang and Xinjiang regions, and there is no second." ”
Therefore, Dunhuang is not only the cradle of the great art treasure house, but also the center of the confluence of the four major civilizations.
Mogao Grottoes, first built in the former Qin Xuanzhao Emperor Jianjian period, after the Northern Dynasty, Sui Dynasty, Tang Dynasty, Song Dynasty, Yuan Dynasty and other dynasties of construction, a total of 735 caves, murals of 45,000 square meters, clay painted sculptures 2415 statues, is the world's largest and richest existing treasure house of Buddhist art.
According to historical records, the excavation of the Mogao Grottoes in Dunhuang began in 366 AD, and it is rumored that the first person to excavate the Mogao Grottoes was a monk from Han China, the lezun monk.
This conveys an important message to us from the side, that is, although the Mogao Grottoes are far away in Dunhuang and far away in the western region, they are actually a cultural and artistic treasure house created by Han culture as a tradition.
Therefore, although we often say that the Dunhuang Mogao Grottoes are the crystallization of cultural exchanges between the East and the West, and the first stop of Buddhist art from India from the Western Regions, the beginning of Dunhuang art was not in the Western Regions, let alone in India, the birthplace of Buddhism, but in Chinese mainland.
Monk Lezun excavated the first grotto in dunhuang, thus creating Dunhuang's splendid Buddhist culture. However, the earliest surviving cave (Cave No. 268) is not necessarily excavated by Lezun.
Mogao Caves Caves 268 Caves
However, it can also lead us to uncover the secrets behind the Dunhuang Mogao Grottoes and understand what is the earliest and most primitive function of the Mogao Grottoes?
Cave 268, the earliest extant cave, is very small, in the middle of the entire cliff face (both upper and lower, left and right are in the middle), which is very much in line with Chinese's preference for "medium" since ancient times.
However, the sparrow is small and complete. Inside this cave, there is a secret of the development of the Mogao Caves for thousands of years: why do future dynasties chisel caves here? Thus this large group of caves was formed.
First of all, the earliest surviving cave 268 was excavated in the Northern Liang period, which was one of the sixteen kingdoms of the Eastern Jin Dynasty, passed on to the second generation, from 397 to 439, enjoying the 43rd year of the State Of The Year.
The structure of Cave 268 is unique, and there are 2 small Zen caves for "zazen" on the left and right sides of Cave 268, which is called "ear chamber" by the famous painter Zhang Daqian.
Small Zen Cave in Cave 268 (Ear Room)
This style of grotto structure is unique in the history of Chinese art, and there is no precedent for similar structural styles in the Western Regions, nor in the grottoes of India. So where does this unique stylistic structure come from? It certainly can't be made up out of thin air.
After careful study and comparison, domestic experts and scholars found that this structural style is very similar to the Eastern Han Cliff Tomb in Leshan, Sichuan, which is a finding. It proves once again that the Dunhuang Mogao Grottoes are an artistic treasure house built with Han culture as a tradition.
At the same time, experts and scholars further archaeological findings that in addition to "for Buddhist believers to sit in meditation, practice, and enlightenment", the grotto has another important role, and even this may be its earliest and most primitive function: that is, similar to the function of "cliff tomb", it is to welcome the deceased into heaven and let the soul of the deceased rest in peace.
According to scholars' research, during the Northern Liang Dynasty, Dunhuang really began to believe in Buddhism, and this 268 cave was produced in response to a spiritual need of the local people. This kind of spiritual need was the problem that had plagued the people of Dunhuang for a long time: that is, where did people go when they died?
At this time, Buddhism tells these believers: Go to heaven! Go to Western Elysium!
Therefore, the top of Cave 268 is painted with the Kingdom of Heaven, and on the two walls are painted with incarnated children, which are to welcome the dead to heaven and let the souls of the dead rest in peace.
The heavenly kingdom motif at the top of Cave 268
When the soul of the deceased is rested, it will not worry about the living people, and it will truly achieve the effect of "happy and bitter" can be achieved. Those who are alive can let go, and they can live longer.
Therefore, this fundamentally solves the problems of local folklore, history, spirit and so on.
Dunhuang Mogao Grottoes also catered to this spiritual need and solved this spiritual problem of the local people to develop.
Because it takes a lot of money and material resources to dig a cave, if it is not closely related to oneself, no one will spend this money, but the demand of "the deceased's death", regardless of status, rich or poor, is the need of everyone.
Therefore, this is the earliest and most primitive function of dunhuang Mogao Grottoes. This is also the historical reason and social basis for the birth of Dunhuang Mogao Grottoes.
"Rich Drunkard Guardian World Heritage".
On December 19, 2021, the second season of the first domestic world heritage program interactive documentary program "Ten Thousand Miles To Ride Alone" started again, going to 12 great World Heritage sites to jointly protect the world heritage and explore the cultural genes engraved in the bones of each Chinese.
As a world cultural heritage, Dunhuang Mogao Grottoes has extremely important values in history, science and technology, culture, art and other aspects.
However, this should not only stay in the study of literature, but should be popularized to the public, so that every Chinese realize the value of these artistic treasures from the bottom of their hearts, realize that Dunhuang is in China, and Dunhuang studies are also in China!
In this way, the Dunhuang Mogao Grottoes are not cold grotto murals, but "living" beating art flowers.
In this way, even if one day, the Dunhuang Mogao Grottoes are buried by yellow sand, it is still "alive" and lives in the hearts of every Chinese.
Reference for this article: Ning Qiang's Journey to Discovery of Art in Western Regions and Dunhuang