Eight Thousand Miles of Clouds and the Moon —— A Study Tour in Dunhuang

Dunhuang-a place that haunts many people!

A treasure house of Chinese art, an invaluable world cultural heritage, has experienced great changes for more than 1,600 years, attracting the attention of countless people!

? The exquisite color plastic murals in the Millennium Mogao Grottoes, the crescent spring in Mingsha Mountain full of romantic imagination, the Yumen Pass, which still stands in the frontier after vicissitudes of life, the magnificent Ya Dan Geopark, Songyang City in the endless Gobi, and the glorious past of the gateway town combining Chinese and Western on the Silk Road are all impressive and amazing!

There is also a dazzling and lingering Yulin Cave, where you meditate in Buddhist music, copy scriptures devoutly, draw colorful sketches on clay tablets, walk in gorgeous Tang costumes, experience fantastic performances, experience the theme movie Dream Buddha Palace, listen to the explanations of top experts and scholars, and relive the cultural journey of the intersection of China and the West ... These are deeply imprinted in your memory and last forever.

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? In the middle of August the year before last, after sketching in Huashan, I got up and flew to Dunhuang. All the way to the west, under the blossoming white clouds, the urban oasis has gradually turned into clear water and green mountains, and the population is becoming scarce. Vast and magnificent mountains come one after another, and ever-changing clouds gather and disperse, becoming whiter against the background of mountains and rivers. Further west, the earth turned into ochre, the vast Gobi, endless, the river flickering and glowing ... daydreaming, the plane landed slowly, and Dunhuang arrived!

? Get on the shuttle bus and go to the hotel. After entering the urban area of Dunhuang, a white marble pipa statue came into view, adding a cultural background to this modern city. Going to the suburbs, looking around, the city is full of deserts and the scenery is unique. I didn't know it was Mingsha Mountain until I asked the driver. Many tourists were climbing it. Check in at the hotel. In the evening, the organizer held a welcome dinner, which was simple and grand. Everyone introduced themselves and then went back to their rooms to have a rest.

The next morning, after breakfast, our group went to the Mogao Grottoes by bus. There was no one in the Gobi along the way, which made people think a lot ... It took about 40 minutes to drive, and there was a river next to it, and there was not much water. Along the river, caves appeared on the cliffs. As we move forward, they become more and more dense. We were watching carefully, and we didn't know this was the Mogao Grottoes until the car stopped.

I saw a gray sandstone structure building, as neat and quiet as the surrounding environment. The tour guide said that it used to be very dilapidated, and Premier Zhou personally allocated funds to repair it, which made me feel respectful. It happened in August, and flowers and trees flourished in front of the cave. After we checked the tickets, we went up the stairs. Only two people are allowed to walk in parallel on a path. We felt a chill when the guide opened the door and entered the cave. The guide took a flashlight and began to explain the cave. While listening to the explanation, turn on the flashlight of your mobile phone and appreciate it carefully. This look was firmly attracted and I couldn't stop, and I was deeply impressed by the masterpieces of ancient craftsmen!

Surrounded by murals on the top, there are thousands of Buddha statues, flying, algae wells and various story lines. When lines and colors meet, faces and points become interesting. The style of painting is rough, carefree, unadorned and unconstrained, which is fascinating. It is really "a painting that respects the monarch and subverts the cognitive view!"

? After everyone has left, I'm still wanting more and can't move. After my companion left, I followed another group of people to continue watching. I was deeply shocked when I saw the exquisite colored sculptures of the murals in the Western Wei Dynasty! A Buddha statue in an ochre robe is located in the center, sitting peacefully and vividly, with a cool background: dazzling sapphire and peacock green set each other off, and it still shines after thousands of years! I stood in front of the Buddha for a long time. ...

? Next, when you step into Cave 45, you are greeted by seven colorful sculptures, all of which stare down. The Buddha sitting cross-legged in the middle looks indifferent, his body and clothes are ochre, and the ochre cloth hangs on the platform, symbolizing the highest wisdom and great consciousness. The elder on the left of the Buddha statue is Ye Jia, dressed in malachite green, frowning and bony, with his left hand stretched out horizontally and his right hand held high. The young man on the right of the Buddha statue is Ananda, dressed in white and red skirt, with his hands folded, quiet and smiling. The two disciples symbolize piety and seek self-liberation.

Next to Ananda and Ye Jia are two Bodhisattvas, well-proportioned, concave and convex, plump and white, with a red stripe at the top and a green pattern at the bottom. They are close to their legs and dressed leisurely. His left hand is drooping, his right hand is upward, and he is kind-hearted, which symbolizes his own consciousness and can help all beings. Standing on the outermost side are two heavenly kings, both wearing armor, wearing a bun, with wide eyes open, her left hand rested on her hips, her right hand holding a weapon, and each foot stepping on a ghost. They are brave and dignified, symbolizing the courage and fearlessness of guarding Buddha. The seven colored sculptures are orderly and have different expressions, all of which are moving.

Another famous mural is The Story of Nine-colored Deer, which mainly describes the story of Buddha Sakyamuni before he became a Buddha. Among them, he couldn't bear the hunter to kill the tiger with his body and became a nine-color deer. Instead, he was told to save the drowning man and was killed by the beautiful queen to get her skin. Finally, he reported to the king in human language that the rescued person died of a poisonous sore and preached the good and evil of Buddhism. Murals are beautifully shaped and animals have beautiful curves. The color is scarlet, people's clothes, mountains and grass are all green, people and deer are matched with ochre, and the house is decorated with a little cyan. Dress is fluttering, free and easy, colorful, contrasting, harmonious and vivid, unforgettable, inspiring, and do more good deeds.

There are many changes in the Mogao Grottoes, that is, portraits are used to explain the ideological content of Buddhist scriptures, in order to publicize Buddhism to the public. Some murals have neat shapes, beautiful colors and exquisite compositions. People, pavilions and customs all come from life. But look at that: on the gorgeous stage, the band plays drums and violins and whistles; Dancers are singing and dancing, their clothes are spinning, and they are graceful, as if they are in front of them; Next to the lotus leaf fragrance, birds and flowers. Fairy's clothes are floating, holding flower baskets and throwing flowers from top to bottom, all of which come from the palace life of the world, symbolizing the happiness of the Buddhist country and making people yearn for it. ...

? In murals, Vimalakīrti's narrative characters are won by pure painting, and the characters are vividly portrayed with only a few strokes. The investor who painted the mural is called the provider, so there are many portraits of the provider in the mural. Among them, the female host of the Tang Dynasty, copied by Mr. Duan Wenjie, wore a long red dress, wore a cloak lightly, and the green sleeves were full of fragrance. There were hairpin flowers in her bun, a moth eyebrow in her small mouth, and her hands were hidden in her sleeves. She was elegant, with a canopy on the top, and attendants of different sizes, some holding flowers in both hands, some holding flower trays, and some looking back. The background was green. In terms of color design, the hostess and a group of characters sincerely worship Buddha, from which we can get a glimpse of the costumes of the Tang Dynasty.

? The colored sculptures in the Sixteen Countries of the Mogao Grottoes in the Northern Dynasties show the Buddhist artistic features of the combination of the Central Plains art in the Han Dynasty, the heavy Gandhara style of printing clothes and the wet mathura style. The Bodhisattva of Beiliang is simple in shape, elegant and concise in color, with geometric patterns as accessories and beasts on both sides.

There are two largest Buddha statues, one of which is located on the ninth floor. The left hand caresses the knee and the right hand lifts. The folds are layered and decorative. Architectural creation allows viewers to look up from a super-high perspective and show endless Buddhism. The other is a sleeping Buddha, sleeping on the right side, with his right hand under his head and his left hand naturally on his leg. His body is relaxed, he sleeps peacefully, and his clothes are curvy like waves. The background shows the change of nirvana: there are many figures, such as the prince of the conference semifinals with a knife in both hands and a sword in one hand and his ears cut off, which are lifelike.

Others, such as the maps of Zhang Qian's missions to the Western Regions, are simple and rough, concise and vivid, and too numerous to mention, all of which are beautiful.

Dunhuang murals in addition to the Mogao Grottoes, followed by Yulin Grottoes. I took a long bus ride from Dunhuang to Yulin Cave in Guazhou. The cave area is quiet and pleasant, with green trees and a small river flowing slowly beside the cave, with unique scenery. We took a nap in the shade of a tree, and the guide brought the key, so we got on the ladder and went into the cave. It's like being in another world ... Maitreya is similar to meticulous painting in scroll painting, with neat lines, elegant colors and red and green contrast.

? A famous mural in Yulin Grottoes is "Shui Yue Guan Yin", in which a bodhisattva leans against a stone and looks up, the mountains and the moon flow, and the pool is silent, moving and static, looking forward to the Millennium. ...

Leaving Yulin Cave, I walked on the road, turned around and inadvertently saw a warm ochre between the vast world and a little green on a tree, full of vitality. There is a great contrast between the two, which makes the green on the Gobi desert precious. After visiting these two caves, we came to Yumen Gate in the Tang poem "Spring breeze doesn't spend Yumen Gate", and a square earth gate stood tall. Touching the mottled wall and coming out of the circular arch, the wind roared through my ears: a thousand years ago, this pass ensured the security of the border between China and the western regions, and all business travelers had to pass through it, witnessing the hardships and busyness on the Silk Road in those years. ...

After that, we explored the site of Suoyangcheng. After many twists and turns, I finally got on the electric sightseeing bus. Along the way, clumps of plants on the ground broke through the ground and extended outward, endless and unique. One of the buildings is similar to the Xixia tomb, built around the tower, which has changed greatly and been devastated for thousands of years, but it is not as brilliant as it was then. Climbing up the wall is an endless desolation. I want to see the Huns riding and flogging here in those days. It's so charming. ...

Then I went to the ruins of the Great Wall of Han Dynasty, strolled through the city wall, and remembered the poem "The desert is lonely and the long river sets the yen", lamenting that if I were not thousands of miles away, I would not have written such a poem that swallowed mountains and rivers. The teacher said that the soldiers and civilians at the edge of the village used local materials, mixed with soil and wormwood, and built layer by layer. Seeing the weather-beaten taxi hit the wall, Xiongnu fighters must have looked at the city and sighed. ...

The first time I went to the desert-Mingsha Mountain. I waited for a long time at the ticket office before I went in. After the tour guide introduced me, everyone dispersed. The four of us walked together. We could ride camels and put on shoes, but we thought it would lose the fun of climbing mountains, so we went up with our companions. At first, my companion got the upper hand and pulled me down a distance. Unexpectedly, they were too tired to move after climbing for a while. After I passed them, my speed gradually slowed down. Every step I take, my hands are stuck in the sand, so I take off my shoes and put my hands on them to move on. Sure enough, the speed is much faster! Looking back, my companion has pulled so far. While I was resting and climbing, I finally reached the top! There are many people on it, taking photos, chatting and having a rest. How cozy! Looking into the distance, the desert is endless, during which an ATV is moving, and I sit down. After a while, after the companion came up, it was already dark, lying in the desert, looking up at the night sky, countless scenic spots and bright lights in the distant city. This feeling is really wonderful!

After that, the activity is to walk into a bay, go to the Gobi opposite the Mogao Grottoes, then turn left and walk inward along the Shule River. Water is the source of life, and there are green bushes on both sides of the river. After walking for a while, we waded across the river, and the road was full of very beautiful but unknown flowers. When we came back, there were grotesque rocks on both sides of the river. The photographer advised us to run in the running water. After an addiction, we finally returned to the Mogao Grottoes.

As night fell, we watched the immersive dance drama Dunhuang directed by Wang Chaoge, which was very strange, because it was the first time. Probably the story is that Wang Yuanzhuan, a Taoist priest in troubled times, sold Buddhist scriptures and silk paintings to foreigners because he was greedy for money, and later suffered retribution and deeply repented ... Impressed, he was able to make people dazzle, freely choose scene changes, and interact with actors from a distance, as if he had gone through a thousand years and returned to Dunhuang at that time. ...

? Finally, I visited Chang Shuhong Memorial Hall. At that time, Mr Zhang was a promising new artist in Paris. Because he saw pelliot's Catalogue of Dunhuang Grottoes in Paris, he was greatly surprised by the existence of art in China. He resolutely returned to the motherland with his family and went to Dunhuang, where there was a treasure house of national art thousands of years ago. From then on, I began to wait hard and regretless all my life, leaving everything in Dunhuang. Its spirit is precious and admirable!

? Time flies, and a few days of study tour will soon be over. In less than ten days, I was deeply attracted by the infinite charm of ancient art in China. If there is an opportunity, I will go there again, because it was created by countless skilled craftsmen with pious hearts and dedication to art after more than 1,600 years. It is an inexhaustible treasure for us!

? I am a poor scholar, and my writing is inevitably full of mistakes. I hope you can give me your comments and suggestions. Thank you very much