What is the historical significance of Mogao Grottoes?

The construction of Dunhuang Grottoes and its historical process, the long history of Dunhuang, the influential local families and surnames, as well as the relationship between Dunhuang, surrounding ethnic groups and the Western Regions are not or rarely recorded in history. There are thousands of portraits of donors in the Dunhuang Grottoes, and more than a thousand of them still have titles and titles. Able to understand many historical situations and historical clues.

Jataka, Buddhist biography, Futian Sutra, Maitreya Sutra, Precious Rain Sutra, Lankavatara Sutra and inscriptions of donors can help to understand the conditions of ancient economic life. The Lotus Sutra and the Nirvana Sutra provide operational plans for ancient army drills, expeditions, conquests, offensive and defensive operations, and valuable visual information on weapons and equipment.

The Dunhuang murals contain information on sports, such as riding and shooting, target shooting, equestrian skills, prancing horses, sumo wrestling, wrestling, weightlifting (elephants and bells), chess, pot throwing, etc. Martial arts, swimming, polo, cuju, etc.

Most of the painted sculptures and murals in the Dunhuang Grottoes are Buddhist: such as statues of painted sculptures and murals, paintings of Sakyamuni's life, destiny, Buddhist stories, various sutra paintings, and numerous Buddhist paintings. Paintings of stories from the East, paintings of mythological figures, etc. Each category has a large number of rich and systematic materials.

It also involves India, West Asia, Central Asia, Xinjiang and other regions, which can help to understand the Buddhist thoughts, sects, beliefs and spread of ancient Dunhuang and the Hexi Corridor, the integration of Buddhism and traditional Chinese culture, and the Sinicization of Buddhism process and so on.

Extended information:

The Mogao Grottoes are one of the three major grotto art treasure houses in my country, and also the largest and richest in content among the existing grotto art treasure houses in my country. The caves are divided into northern and southern areas. The southern area is the main body of the Mogao Grottoes and is a place where monks engage in religious activities. There are 487 caves, all with murals or statues.

There are 248 caves in the North District, of which only 5 have murals or statues. The other caves are places where monks practice, live, and are buried after death. They include earthen kangs, stove kangs, flues, and niches. , table lamps and other living facilities.

The caves were first excavated in the second year of Jianyuan of the former Qin Dynasty, that is, 366 AD. After successive generations of renovations, there are now 492 caves, 2,415 colorful sculptures, and 45,000 square meters of murals. In 1987, UNESCO listed the Mogao Grottoes as a world cultural heritage.

According to legend, the Mogao Grottoes in Dunhuang were first built by monk Le Zunzuo. Dunhuang has been an important town in the Western Regions since the Western Han Dynasty. The smooth flow of the Silk Road enabled the development of commercial and cultural exchanges between China and Central Asia and Western countries. Buddhism and Buddhist art were introduced to China through Dunhuang along this route. In the fourth century AD, wars continued in the Central Plains, while the Hexi region was relatively stable. Therefore, many monks from the mainland left the Central Plains and traveled westward in search of a place to practice.

In 366 AD, monk Le Zunzuo traveled westward to the foot of Sanwei Mountain in Dunhuang. There is sand and gravel everywhere, it is already dusk, and food and accommodation have become imminent problems. The sun gradually set on the mountain, and the devout monk Le Zunzuo was walking on the ground. Suddenly he looked up and saw a strange scene in front of him. He saw Mingsha Mountain opposite, a golden light, and there seemed to be thousands of Buddhas in the radiant light. Appearing in golden light.

Monk Le Zunzuo was deeply shocked by this holy scene. He thought this was the Buddha's reminder to him. So he stopped and spent his entire life digging a Buddhist cave at the place where the Buddha's light flashed. This is the beginning of Mogao Grottoes.

Baidu Encyclopedia-Mogao Grottoes