Why does everyone yearn for Dunhuang? Why did the small oasis in the center of the desert become the flower of world civilization?

As the tall Qilian Mountains gradually disappeared into the wilderness, the Hexi Corridor quickly lost its vitality and color. The increasingly broadened horizons made people more and more tired.

Suddenly, a golden sand dune stretched into the distance from the black mountains, and greenery loomed under the sand dunes. We knew that we had arrived in Dunhuang.

Dunhuang under the shade of sand mountains (photography alone city)

Dunhuang was also called Shazhou in ancient times. This name is very appropriate. It is indeed like a leaf stranded on the vast sea of ??sand. The boat is waiting to be discovered, written about, and embarked on an extraordinary voyage.

In 121 BC, this long wait finally got a response. In the spring of this year, the Huns who had been defeated in the Hexi Corridor hurriedly withdrew westward. The high-spirited Huo Qubing pursued them all the way to Dunhuang before reining in their horses.

This was a symbol of the Han Dynasty's comprehensive counterattack against the Xiongnu, and it was also the starting point of the legendary voyage to this sandy oasis. Ten years later, it was given a meaningful name - Grand Glory. This is Dunhuang.

The geographical location of Dunhuang (an isolated city in cartography)

After expelling the Xiongnu, Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty began to quickly rebuild the ruling order of the Hexi Corridor, building the Great Wall, setting up passes, deploying troops, and immigrating to colonize... When the war began to subside and the people's morale calmed down, Zhang Qian and his envoy set out from Chang'an in a mighty manner.

This was Zhang Qian’s second trip to the Western Regions as an envoy. This time he brought the majesty of the Han Dynasty and conveyed his willingness for peaceful trade with generous gifts.

A trade channel connecting the Western Regions and the Central Plains across the Hexi Corridor began to take shape, and Dunhuang, which was both a bifurcation point and an intersection, became active from then on.

Three Roads to the Western Regions (Cartographic Solitary City)

Business travelers and envoys from the Western Regions brought horses, jade, and spices with them through Dunhuang and entered the Hexi Corridor. When they returned, they were loaded with silk , tea and ceramics, from Dunhuang to the desert.

The prosperous trade exchanges made Dunhuang famous far and wide. By the Eastern Han Dynasty, it was already a metropolis "handled by Huarong".

Business Travel in Dunhuang Murals (Cave 296, Mogao Grottoes)

Among all the commodities exported to the Western Regions, silk was the most popular commodity. When this brightly colored, smooth and soft fabric spread across the Pamirs to West Asia and even the Mediterranean coast, it caused screams all the way.

One day in 47 BC, Caesar, the lifelong dictator of the Roman Republic, appeared in a newly built theater wearing a gorgeous robe. Suddenly, the attention of the whole audience was attracted. Caesar was attracted by his dazzling attire. The knowledgeable elders told everyone that this was silk, coming from the far East.

Silk became the new favorite of the Roman aristocracy overnight, and was even regarded as a symbol of wealth and status. According to the oral tradition of the Romans, silk is a material that grows from trees, and this magical tree can only be found in an eastern country called "Serris" (meaning silk country).

The enthusiasm of the nobles caused the price of silk to soar. In Rome at that time, people had to spend 12 taels of gold to buy 1 pound of silk (1 pound 9 taels). The huge profits prompted waves of caravans to embark on a journey to the East. They came from different corners of the world and finally gathered in Dunhuang one by one.

Camel caravan walking in the desert (from Photo Network)

China’s silk production technology was not gradually introduced to Western countries until the middle of the 6th century AD. Before that, the Western world The desire and demand for silk could only be satisfied in China.

In addition to silk, Chinese tea and porcelain have also become highly sought-after "hard currencies" around the world.

Profit-seeking businessmen came to China one after another. They crossed the snow-capped mountains, crossed the desert, crossed the grassland, and drifted across the sea. All difficulties and dangers could not stop their footsteps. As a result, the roads connecting China and the world were trampled by generations of business travelers. These trade routes were collectively called the Silk Road.

In ancient times, whether traveling east or west, setting off for Dunhuang was a very prudent decision. Those traveling westward will leave the shelter and nourishment of the Qilian Mountains, and those traveling eastward will also bid farewell to a series of oases connected end to end under the Tianshan Mountains and Kunlun Mountains.

Therefore, when people arrive in Dunhuang after all the hard work, they must stop here for a long time, replenish drinking water and supplies, and make full preparations for the next journey.

Isolated Dunhuang (an isolated city for cartography)

When more and more merchants and goods were stranded in Dunhuang, some people simply stopped moving forward and went directly to the market in Dunhuang. Started a business. Dunhuang, as a transportation hub on the Silk Road, has also further assumed the role of a trade center.

Along with trade, in addition to various commodities, there are also different religions, languages, music, dances, paintings, sculptures and production techniques. Dunhuang has become a place where Eastern and Western civilizations collide, blend and harmoniously* **The paradise of life.

Skilled painters painted scenes of life in the form of Buddhist stories on the walls of the Dunhuang Grottoes. Today, through the colorful murals, we can still feel the prosperity of that distant era.

Hu Xuanwu (Cave 220 of Mogao Grottoes)

In March 1986, Ji Xianlin, a master of Chinese studies, published an article on "Dunhuang Turpan Studies" in the magazine "Red Flag" , the article writes, “There are only four cultural systems in the world that have a long history, a vast territory, a self-contained system, and far-reaching influence: China, India, Greece, and Islam. There is no fifth one, and the place where these four cultural systems converge is only One is China's Dunhuang and Xinjiang regions, and there is no other."

Mr. Ji Xianlin's conclusion later became a famous quote that people repeatedly quoted when describing Dunhuang. Dunhuang's historical status as the center of the convergence of four major civilizations. It has also been generally accepted. However, only by visiting it in person can you truly understand how tenacious and fragile this cultural center is.

Dunhuang Oasis (Photography Lonely City)

Although Dunhuang has been famous since ancient times, it is still essentially just a small oasis surrounded by the Gobi Desert, with no plans to expand outward. Depth.

The annual precipitation here is less than 50 mm, but the evaporation is more than 2,500 mm. It is one of the driest areas in China.

It is in such a place that Dunhuang, relying on the Dang River with a small runoff, has gone through thousands of years of eternal fire.

The ecological environment of Dunhuang (an isolated city for cartography)

The Dang River, which originates from the Qilian Mountains, was originally the largest tributary of the Shule River. The place where the two rivers converged was once 70 meters wide. Lake Haranor of more than square kilometers.

However, starting from the middle and late Qing Dynasty, people reclaimed wetlands on a large scale and diverted water for irrigation. The water volume of the Dang River decreased sharply. By the 1970s, people built a dam on the west side of Mingsha Mountain to store water, and the lower reaches of the Dang River basically stopped flowing. The situation of the Shule River is exactly the same as that of the Dang River, which directly led to the complete drying up of Haranor Lake...

The Shule River outside Yumen Pass (photographed by Gucheng)

In ancient times After the Dang River and Shule River fill up Haranor Lake, they will overflow to the west and eventually flow into Lop Nur.

Lop Nur is as broad as the sea. When the lake is filled with water, it becomes the mysterious ancient country of Loulan. But its depletion speed must also be in the blink of an eye, so Loulan will be quietly annihilated again so simply.

As we drove through the Gobi desert in Dunhuang, the words "South Lake" and "West Lake" often appeared on the roadside signboards. It is conceivable that this thirsty land must have been filled with lakes and swamps. Ripple.

My eyes widened, thinking that a lake would suddenly appear. However, after waiting for a long time, what came was a row of huge slogans: Don't let Dunhuang become the second Loulan!

On Mingshan Road in Dunhuang, when you look up, you can see huge sand dunes as smooth and tough as porcelain sculptures lying at the end of the road, staring at the oasis at your feet.

The strong west wind carries the yellow sand of Kumtag all the way eastward. It is not until it encounters the obstacles of Sanwei Mountain and Black Rock Peak that the sand settles down one by one. Over time, it gathers into mountains. This is The landmark of Dunhuang - Mingsha Mountain.

Dunhuang Mingshan Road (Photography by Gucheng)

When you come to Dunhuang, you will definitely be amazed that the city and the desert are so close, and the people living under the sand mountains will be so calm.

Mingsha Mountain, which covers an area of ??nearly 800 square kilometers, is only seen as a large playground. Here, the desert is not scary. You can put down all worries and jump into the gentle sea of ??sand. Carnival.

Mingsha Mountain (Photography of Gucheng)

Since ancient times, it has been widely rumored that Mingsha Mountain will make a roaring sound. Some people say it is like the magnificent bells, drums and orchestras playing in unison, while others say it is like a roaring sound. The battlefield is full of people and horses neighing. It's a pity that we tried all kinds of tricks on Mingsha Mountain, but we didn't hear anything.

When walking in the desert, it’s okay if it’s flat ground, but if you go uphill, you’ll have to walk back and forth. The sand dunes that don’t look high can make people feel like they have to climb to the end of the world.

Climbing up on blades (Photography of Gucheng)

The truly magical place of Mingsha Mountain is also here. It stands to reason that tens of thousands of tourists climb up the slopes of the sand mountain every day. If you step on it, the quicksand will continue to roll down. Over time, the sand mountain will move forward and gradually become shorter.

But Mingsha Mountain can remain motionless, and "the wind blows over time, and it often returns to the same shape as before." Every day, it can show its sharp ridgeline.

The ridgeline of Mingsha Mountain (Photography by Gucheng)

In fact, Mingsha Mountain is not always stationary, but it moves too slowly, making it difficult to detect.

After stratigraphic exploration, geologists concluded that the expansion of Mingsha Mountain had forced the Dang River to change its course to the north. Miraculously, when the sand mountain engulfed the old course of the Dang River, it deliberately left a small section. This small section is the current Crescent Moon Spring.

Crescent Moon Spring (Photographed by Gucheng)

Although Crescent Moon Spring has been isolated from Danghe River, the two are still closely connected through the underground water system. Therefore, the drop in the water level of Danghe River has also caused the decline of Crescent Moon Spring. Most of the water surface has shrunk. In order to prevent Crescent Moon Spring from completely drying up, people now spend huge sums of money every year to replenish it with various means.

Many people like to sit on the ridge on the east side of Mingsha Mountain, quietly waiting for the sun to set and watching the sun and moon shine. Year after year, the sun keeps its appointment on time every day, but if one day the crescent moon on the ground suddenly disappears, how sad this picture will be...

Crescent Moon Spring at sunset (Photography Lonely City)

If the golden desert is approachable, then the black Gobi is truly terrifying.

Leaving the urban area of ??Dunhuang and driving about 100 kilometers northwest, before you know it, the earth has been shrouded in a layer of black sand and gravel. If you continue to go deeper, you will find a mysterious "ancient city" that stretches for more than ten kilometers. "There are many ancient castles in the city and the streets are orderly, but there is no life at all. Whenever the wind blows, sand and rocks fly, wolves howl and tigers roar, which makes people feel heart palpitated.

The Devil’s City on the Black Gobi (photography of the isolated city)

Wind-eroded Castle (photography of the isolated city)

This geological landscape known as the “Devil’s City” is actually It is a kind of Yadan landform. The neatly arranged ancient castles are actually the sedimentary layers on the ancient lake basin or river bed.

Crustal movement exposed these poorly consolidated rock formations to the surface. Strong and persistent directional winds continued to erode along the cracks in the rock formations, eventually forming this kind of ridge-like shape that was roughly parallel to the direction of the wind. Remnant hill.

The formation mechanism of Yadan landform (cartographic isolated city)

In places where wind erosion is relatively strong, isolated sculptures will also be formed. They are of different shapes, and birds and animals are everywhere. Not included, even many famous buildings in the world can be matched one by one.

"The Sphinx" (photography of the lonely city)

"Leaning Tower of Pisa" (photography of the lonely city)

When we are about to enter the core "city area" of Devil City "At that moment, two huge "city gates" suddenly appeared in front of the road. The commentator said that this gate was called the Hero Gate because before the construction of the scenic spot, the road through the Devil City was dangerous and unpredictable. Entering this gate meant that life or death was uncertain. , Anyone who can enter through the door and come out successfully is a hero.

"Heroes' Gate" (Photography of Gucheng)

Black Gobi and Devil City, what a cruel combination they are. They categorically rejected all opportunities for life and tried their best to The ground intimidates passers-by.

However, this area is the only place where the Silk Road leaves Yumen Pass in the west and enters Turpan. How much courage did the merchants in ancient times have to use to resist this boundless desolation.

When I returned from the Devil City and passed by Yumen Pass again, I truly realized what "the spring breeze does not pass through Yumen Pass".

Although this Guancheng, which was set up during the period of Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty, has long since disappeared, archaeologists still found some in the small Fangpan City area next to the West Lake Wetland based on the clues on the Han bamboo slips. related remains.

Yumenguan Xiaofangpan City (Photography Lonely City)

50 kilometers south of Yumenguan is the slender Nanhu Oasis. On the antique beach on the west side of the oasis, there stands a dilapidated Scholars infer that the beacon is near Yangguan, where "there is no old friend from Yangguan in the west".

Yangguan Fengsui (Photography by Gucheng)

In the Gobi Desert, if you keep the water source, you will keep the passage of life. Therefore, whether it is Yangguan or Yumenguan, they are guarding the most important water supply point west of Dunhuang.

Merchants, postal stations, and envoys entering and leaving Dunhuang must pass through two passes, whether they are taking the northern foothills of Kunlun or the southern foothills of Tianshan Mountain. They not only guard the west gate of the Hexi Corridor, but are also responsible for issuing "passports" to people passing by. During the Han and Tang Dynasties, these two great passes facing each other in the wilderness were bustling for hundreds of years.

However, all the prosperity came to an abrupt end in the middle of the eighth century AD.

The Anshi Rebellion broke out in the Tang Dynasty. The emperor mobilized the defenders of the frontier fortresses to return to the Central Plains to quell the rebellion. The entire northwest region was empty of defenses. The Tubo forces took the opportunity to move in, and the Hexi Corridor slipped from the hands of the Tang Dynasty. .

The long wait for Yangguan and Yumenguan began.

They don’t know why, but from a certain day, the letters they sent never received a reply, and there were no more camel teams or crowds on the distant horizon. Those singing and dancing women, the jingling jade, the fragrant fragrance The overflowing wine has also disappeared...

At this time, the soldiers far away from the customs were cut off from the Central Plains due to the loss of the Hexi Corridor. When they were left alone in the Western Regions, they were suffering. While waiting for help, only Yangguan and Yumenguan stood on the edge of the pale Kumtag Desert, watching them quietly, which was the last response and the deepest despair.

Kumtag Desert (from Photo Network)

In 766 AD, Tubo had successively captured Liangzhou, Ganzhou and Suzhou (i.e. Wuwei, Zhangye and Jiuquan) , Dunhuang (Shazhou) became an isolated city. After struggling for 20 years, the soldiers and civilians who defended the city finally negotiated a peace treaty and surrendered because there was no rescue outside and no food or equipment inside.

In 786, all the prefectures and counties in Hexi and Longyou were captured by Tubo. The Tubo commander forcibly implemented "Fanization" in the occupied areas, requiring Han people to speak Tibetan language and practice Tibetan customs. rèn] and wear clothes, braid hair and get tattoos."

However, the high-pressure policy could not tame the people. After the fall of Dunhuang, although the people of the state "subdued themselves to the captives", they still had to "dress in Chinese clothes" and worship eastward whenever they offered sacrifices to their ancestors. , howled loudly, then took off the Hanfu and hid it secretly.

"Is the imperial court thinking about it? When will the troops come?" The people in the Tibetan-occupied areas were waiting eagerly for more than half a century.

The vast sea of ??longing finally set off huge waves in Dunhuang. In 848 AD, a rebel army led by Zhang Yichao held high the banner of "Return to the Tang Dynasty" and took advantage of the civil strife in Tubo to recapture Dunhuang. Later, they used Dunhuang as their base camp to regain the Hexi Corridor step by step.

They called themselves the "Guiyi Army", and based on the idea of ??"the magnificence of the people, the mainland together", they restored order and soothed people's hearts, and sent ten messengers to inform the court of the good news of Dunhuang's recovery.

Zhang Yichao’s Army Travel Map (Cave 156 of Mogao Grottoes)

In 851, Zhang Yichao entrusted his brother to go to Chang’an and presented the map of the eleven states of Helong to the Tang Dynasty Xuanzong to re-establish the affiliation with the Tang Dynasty.

However, the Tang Dynasty, which had fallen from its peak, could no longer restore its former glory. Although the Hexi Corridor nominally belonged to the Tang Dynasty again, the emperor of the Central Plains was no longer able to provide practical support for running Hexi. The Guiyi Army could only Able to rely on one's own strength to survive in a difficult situation surrounded by powerful enemies.

From the expulsion of Tibet in 848 to the defeat by Xixia in 1036, the Dunhuang rebel army never gave up its efforts to establish contact with the Central Plains.

Cao Yijin, the late leader of the Guiyi Army in the official uniform of the Central Plains (Cave 16 of Yulin Grottoes)

Dunhuang, as a node city on the ancient Silk Road, prospered when the road was open, but prospered when the road was blocked. Then it will decline, which seems to be its inevitable fate.

During the Song Dynasty, because there was another Xixia between the Western Regions and the Central Plains, and the Hexi Corridor was not accessible, the Maritime Silk Road gradually replaced the land Silk Road; when the Mongolian and Yuan Dynasties had a vast territory When the empire arrived, the Prairie Silk Road emerged in the north; and by the time the Ming Dynasty finally rivaled the Han and Tang dynasties, the Central Plains regime had basically lost interest in exploring the Western Regions. Emperor Jiajing even took the initiative to move the country's border eastward, 300 kilometers away. Jiayuguan closed its doors and defended itself; Dunhuang gradually became an abandoned city...

Jiayuguan, the western border of the middle and late Ming Dynasty (photographed lonely city)

Unguarded Yang Pass and Yumen Pass both collapsed one after another. When they fell to the earth, no one saw the process, no one knew whether it happened during the day or at night, no one heard the sound of gravel blowing away in the wind, and no one knew which way the wind was blowing that day.

All the splendid chapters were sealed on the cliff at the eastern foot of Mingsha Mountain, and when they became known to the world again, what kicked off was an unbearable past.

When mentioning Dunhuang, many people will immediately think of the Mogao Grottoes, and mentioning the Mogao Grottoes will inevitably bring up the sad history.

From the year 366, when monk Lezun dug out the first piece of loess, to 1897, when Taoist priest Wang Yuanlu took charge of the Mogao Grottoes, the rise and fall of the Mogao Grottoes has kept pace with Dunhuang for more than 1,600 years. .

The turning point occurred on June 22, 1900 (May 26, the twenty-sixth year of Guangxu's reign). That night, Taoist Wang who was cleaning quicksand accidentally looked through a crack in the cave wall. , opened a secret cave filled with scriptures.

The Scriptures in the Buddhist Scripture Cave

Taoist Wang, who has little knowledge, may not know the value of these cultural relics and ancient books that have been sealed for nearly 900 years, but he still feels that they are A big thing that I can't handle. So, he first invited the local squires to seek advice, then walked all the way to Dunhuang County Yamen to report to the county magistrate, and finally drove a donkey over 800 miles to Suzhou to meet Lord Daotai. But in the end, all the calls came from the Gansu Provincial Government: Check the scriptures and protect them on the spot.

Taoist Wang, who was running into obstacles everywhere, had no choice but to dare to write a memorial to the Empress Dowager Cixi who was far away in the capital, waiting hard with the last glimmer of hope.

The controversial Taoist priest Wang Yuanlu

How did he know that at the moment he pushed down the secret door of the Sutra Cave, the Eight-Power Allied Forces were gathering in Tianjin and preparing to attack Beijing; A few months later, Cixi will disguise herself as a peasant woman and flee to Shanxi; a year later, Li Hongzhang will sign the "Xinchou Treaty"; and the Empress Dowager, who has regained power, will also shout in the edict: "Measure China's material resources and end the war." "With the joy of the country"...

For seven years, no one paid attention to the secrets submitted by Taoist Wang. Facing the cultural treasures in the scripture cave, the isolated and helpless Wang Yuanlu must have felt something. Unclear heaviness and confusion.

But after all, he has done everything an ordinary person can do. Facing the Nirvana Tower of the past abbots at the foot of Sanwei Mountain, he can feel slightly at ease.

The Monk Pagoda at the foot of Sanwei Mountain (photographed in Gucheng)

The news that there are ancient scriptures in Dunhuang has spread. In order to raise funds, Taoist Wang gave away and sold a small amount of them. Papers also began to circulate among the people.

In 1907, the British man Stein followed clues to the Mogao Grottoes. The following year, the Frenchman Pelliot entered the Buddhist Scripture Cave. One after another, a large number of scriptures and cultural relics from the Mogao Grottoes were coaxed and deceived and taken away at extremely low prices. In addition, expedition teams from the United States, Japan and Russia also came upon hearing the news...

Paul Pelliot checked scriptures in the Tibetan Scripture Cave

More than 40,000 pieces The suicide notes, a large number of exquisite statues, and even the murals on the walls were cut off by these so-called explorers, packed in boxes, and swaggeringly hauled away in horse-drawn carriages.

For the Mogao Grottoes, this was undoubtedly a horrific plunder, but for China as a whole at that time, it was just the calmest and least noticeable of the countless plunders.

The Tang Dynasty statue stolen by American Langdon Warner

Because the cultural relics were lost in the hands of Taoist Wang, he would naturally bear the infamy for this. However, in an era when the entire country is servile to Westerners, what confidence do we have to pour out our anger on him?

We can only hate that era of poverty and weakness, and we can only turn this hatred into the internal strength to strive for strength, so that our country and nation will not suffer the same humiliation again.

Dunhuang has become the frontier of multi-ethnic and multi-cultural development since the Han Dynasty. The Dunhuang Grottoes, which were first excavated during the Wei and Jin Dynasties, uphold this spirit of openness and tolerance. .

From princes and dignitaries to ordinary people, regardless of nationality or class, they can become grotto diggers and donors, so the content displayed in the grottoes is also all-encompassing.

Statue of Sakyamuni in Nirvana (Cave 158, Mogao Grottoes)

In addition to aesthetic and religious value, the statues and murals in the grottoes also cover the political, military, and diplomatic aspects of different periods. , singing and dancing, acrobatics, farming, hunting, business, travel and other historical events and life scenes. The vast Dunhuang posthumous writings cover a wider scope and the content is more detailed.

These precious historical bequests are the most important for studying the history, religion, anthropology, sociology, linguistics, literature history, art history, science and technology history, and national history of China and even the entire Eurasian continent in the Middle Ages. Rare and most reliable first-hand information.

Pipa with music and dance (Mogao Grottoes Cave 112)

In fact, Dunhuang not only has Mogao Grottoes, but also has West Thousand Buddhas Cave, East Thousand Buddhas Cave, Yulin Grottoes and five temples Most of the grottoes are located in remote areas and are difficult to reach, so they have basically been in a state of neglect since the late Ming Dynasty and have been left to fend for themselves.

It was not until the cultural relics of the Mogao Grottoes caused a sensation in the West that scholars in Beijing belatedly turned their attention to this long-forgotten land.

In 1944, the Nationalist Government established the Dunhuang Art Research Institute at the appeal of all sectors of society. For the first time, the Dunhuang Grottoes were placed under the protection of a national institution. At this point, tens of thousands of Dunhuang posthumous documents have been exiled abroad for more than 30 years, and scholars from all over the world have already begun research and exploration of Dunhuang culture.

Of course, it is sad to see cultural heritage stolen, but perhaps it is precisely because of this that the rise and development of Dunhuang Studies can be so vigorous.

Many talented young people traveled thousands of miles to Dunhuang. Faced with the dilapidated grottoes, they did not immerse themselves in sadness and stand still. Instead, they carried great enthusiasm and an urgent sense of mission. Working hard on the loess cliff.

They know that instead of hating, it is better to work hard not to lag behind others; instead of fighting, it is better to let that treasure reflect more brilliant brilliance.

Picture of the Governor’s Wife Paying Respect to Buddha (copied by Duan Wenjie) (Cave 130, Mogao Grottoes)

Regarding those cultural relics that have been lost, what makes us happy is that they have at least been carefully preserved. Scholars and institutions are also working hard to interpret the information contained in them from different perspectives, and have opened up the world's joint study of Dunhuang in the form of sharing.

Once upon a time, Dunhuang became the confluence of four ancient civilizations with its openness to all rivers. Therefore, today Dunhuang studies also need people from all over the world to participate in the discussion.

As Mr. Ji Xianlin said: "Dunhuang is in China, and Dunhuang studies are in the world."

"Crossing the Hexi Corridor" series