Best Attractions and Places to See in Dunhuang, China
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List of Best Things to do in Dunhuang, China
Mogao Caves
Mingsha Shan - Echoing-Sand Mountain
Crescent Moon Pool
Yadan National Geological Park
Yumen Pass
Dunhuang Grotto Art Protection,Examination and Exhibition Center
DunHuang MoGaoKu YiShuGuan
Dunhuang Museum
Yangguan Historic Sites
Great Wall of Han Dynasty
敦煌 Dunhuang 莫高窟壁画 Mogao Caves 中國
tonykwk39@gmail.com
The city of Dunhuang, in north-west China, is situated at a point of vital strategic and logistical importance, on a crossroads of two major trade routes within the Silk Road network. Lying in an oasis at the edge of the Taklamakan Desert, Dunhuang was one of the first trading cities encountered by merchants arriving in China from the west. It was also an ancient site of Buddhist religious activity, and was a popular destination for pilgrims, as well as acting as a garrison town protecting the region. The remarkable Mogao Caves, a collection of nearly 500 caves in the cliffs to the south of the city, contain the largest depositary of historic documents along the Silk Roads and bear witness to the cultural, religious, social and commercial activity that took place in Dunhuang across the first millennium. The city changed hands many times over its long history, but remained a vibrant hub of exchange until the 11th century, after which its role in Silk Road trade began to decline.
The Silk Road routes from China to the west passed to the north and south of the Taklamakan Desert, and Dunhuang lay on the junction where these two routes came together. Additionally, the city lies near the western edge of the Gobi Desert, and north of the Mingsha Sand Dunes (whose name means ‘gurgling sand’, a reference to the noise of the wind over the dunes), making Dunhuang a vital resting point for merchants and pilgrims travelling through the region from all directions. As such, Dunhuang played a key role in the passage of Silk Road trade to and from China, and over the course of the first millennium AD, was one of the most important cities to grow up on these routes. Dunhuang initially acted as a garrison town protecting the region and its trade routes, and a commandery was established there in the 2nd century BC by the Chinese Han dynasty (206 BC – 220 AD). A number of ancient passes, such as the Yü Guan or "Jade Gate" and the Yang Guan, or "Southern Gate", illustrate the strategic importance of the city and its position on what amounted to a medieval highway across the deserts.
The history of this ancient Silk Road city is reflected in the Mogao Caves, also known as the Qianfodong (the Caves of the Thousand Buddhas), an astonishing collection of 492 caves that were dug into the cliffs just south of the city. The first caves were founded in 366 AD by Buddhist monks, and distinguished Dunhuang as a centre for Buddhist learning, drawing large numbers of pilgrims to the city. Monks and pilgrims often travelled via the Silk Roads, and indeed a number of religions, including Buddhism, spread into areas around the trading routes in this way. There were some 15 Buddhist monasteries in the city by the 10th century, and the latest caves were carved sometime in the 13th or 14th century. The city also lay on the pilgrim route from Tibet to the sacred Mount Wutai. The caves were painted with Buddhist imagery, and their construction would have been an intensely religious process, involving prayers, incense and ritual fasting. The earliest wall paintings date back to the 5th century AD, with the older paintings showing scenes from the Buddha’s life, whilst those built after 600 AD depict scenes from Buddhist texts.
莫高窟，俗稱千佛洞，坐落在河西走廊西端的敦煌，以精美的壁畫和塑像聞名於世。它始建於十六國的前秦時期，歷經十六國、北朝、隋、唐、五代、西夏、元等歷代的興建，形成巨大的規模，現有洞窟735個、壁畫4.5萬平方米、泥質彩塑2415尊，是世界上現存規模最大、內容最豐富的佛教藝術地。近代以來，又發現了藏經洞，內有5萬餘件古代文物，並衍生出了一門專門研究藏經洞典籍和敦煌藝術的學科——敦煌學。但莫高窟在近代以來受到許多人為的損傷，文物大量流失，其完整性已被嚴重破壞。1961年，莫高窟被中華人民共和國國務院公佈為第一批全國重點文物保護單位之一。1987年12月，莫高窟被列為世界文化遺產。
敦煌 Dunhuang 莫高窟壁画 Mogao Caves 中國
tonykwk39@gmail.com
The city of Dunhuang, in north-west China, is situated at a point of vital strategic and logistical importance, on a crossroads of two major trade routes within the Silk Road network. Lying in an oasis at the edge of the Taklamakan Desert, Dunhuang was one of the first trading cities encountered by merchants arriving in China from the west. It was also an ancient site of Buddhist religious activity, and was a popular destination for pilgrims, as well as acting as a garrison town protecting the region. The remarkable Mogao Caves, a collection of nearly 500 caves in the cliffs to the south of the city, contain the largest depositary of historic documents along the Silk Roads and bear witness to the cultural, religious, social and commercial activity that took place in Dunhuang across the first millennium. The city changed hands many times over its long history, but remained a vibrant hub of exchange until the 11th century, after which its role in Silk Road trade began to decline.
The Silk Road routes from China to the west passed to the north and south of the Taklamakan Desert, and Dunhuang lay on the junction where these two routes came together. Additionally, the city lies near the western edge of the Gobi Desert, and north of the Mingsha Sand Dunes (whose name means ‘gurgling sand’, a reference to the noise of the wind over the dunes), making Dunhuang a vital resting point for merchants and pilgrims travelling through the region from all directions. As such, Dunhuang played a key role in the passage of Silk Road trade to and from China, and over the course of the first millennium AD, was one of the most important cities to grow up on these routes. Dunhuang initially acted as a garrison town protecting the region and its trade routes, and a commandery was established there in the 2nd century BC by the Chinese Han dynasty (206 BC – 220 AD). A number of ancient passes, such as the Yü Guan or "Jade Gate" and the Yang Guan, or "Southern Gate", illustrate the strategic importance of the city and its position on what amounted to a medieval highway across the deserts.
The history of this ancient Silk Road city is reflected in the Mogao Caves, also known as the Qianfodong (the Caves of the Thousand Buddhas), an astonishing collection of 492 caves that were dug into the cliffs just south of the city. The first caves were founded in 366 AD by Buddhist monks, and distinguished Dunhuang as a centre for Buddhist learning, drawing large numbers of pilgrims to the city. Monks and pilgrims often travelled via the Silk Roads, and indeed a number of religions, including Buddhism, spread into areas around the trading routes in this way. There were some 15 Buddhist monasteries in the city by the 10th century, and the latest caves were carved sometime in the 13th or 14th century. The city also lay on the pilgrim route from Tibet to the sacred Mount Wutai. The caves were painted with Buddhist imagery, and their construction would have been an intensely religious process, involving prayers, incense and ritual fasting. The earliest wall paintings date back to the 5th century AD, with the older paintings showing scenes from the Buddha’s life, whilst those built after 600 AD depict scenes from Buddhist texts.
莫高窟，俗稱千佛洞，坐落在河西走廊西端的敦煌，以精美的壁畫和塑像聞名於世。它始建於十六國的前秦時期，歷經十六國、北朝、隋、唐、五代、西夏、元等歷代的興建，形成巨大的規模，現有洞窟735個、壁畫4.5萬平方米、泥質彩塑2415尊，是世界上現存規模最大、內容最豐富的佛教藝術地。近代以來，又發現了藏經洞，內有5萬餘件古代文物，並衍生出了一門專門研究藏經洞典籍和敦煌藝術的學科——敦煌學。但莫高窟在近代以來受到許多人為的損傷，文物大量流失，其完整性已被嚴重破壞。1961年，莫高窟被中華人民共和國國務院公佈為第一批全國重點文物保護單位之一。1987年12月，莫高窟被列為世界文化遺產。
藝苑掇英 Dun Huang 敦煌 600 AD Mogao Caves 莫高窟Silk Road China
tonykwk39@gmail.com
The city of Dunhuang, in north-west China, is situated at a point of vital strategic and logistical importance, on a crossroads of two major trade routes within the Silk Road network. Lying in an oasis at the edge of the Taklamakan Desert, Dunhuang was one of the first trading cities encountered by merchants arriving in China from the west. It was also an ancient site of Buddhist religious activity, and was a popular destination for pilgrims, as well as acting as a garrison town protecting the region. The remarkable Mogao Caves, a collection of nearly 500 caves in the cliffs to the south of the city, contain the largest depositary of historic documents along the Silk Roads and bear witness to the cultural, religious, social and commercial activity that took place in Dunhuang across the first millennium. The city changed hands many times over its long history, but remained a vibrant hub of exchange until the 11th century, after which its role in Silk Road trade began to decline.
The Silk Road routes from China to the west passed to the north and south of the Taklamakan Desert, and Dunhuang lay on the junction where these two routes came together. Additionally, the city lies near the western edge of the Gobi Desert, and north of the Mingsha Sand Dunes (whose name means ‘gurgling sand’, a reference to the noise of the wind over the dunes), making Dunhuang a vital resting point for merchants and pilgrims travelling through the region from all directions. As such, Dunhuang played a key role in the passage of Silk Road trade to and from China, and over the course of the first millennium AD, was one of the most important cities to grow up on these routes. Dunhuang initially acted as a garrison town protecting the region and its trade routes, and a commandery was established there in the 2nd century BC by the Chinese Han dynasty (206 BC – 220 AD). A number of ancient passes, such as the Yü Guan or "Jade Gate" and the Yang Guan, or "Southern Gate", illustrate the strategic importance of the city and its position on what amounted to a medieval highway across the deserts.
The history of this ancient Silk Road city is reflected in the Mogao Caves, also known as the Qianfodong (the Caves of the Thousand Buddhas), an astonishing collection of 492 caves that were dug into the cliffs just south of the city. The first caves were founded in 366 AD by Buddhist monks, and distinguished Dunhuang as a centre for Buddhist learning, drawing large numbers of pilgrims to the city. Monks and pilgrims often travelled via the Silk Roads, and indeed a number of religions, including Buddhism, spread into areas around the trading routes in this way. There were some 15 Buddhist monasteries in the city by the 10th century, and the latest caves were carved sometime in the 13th or 14th century. The city also lay on the pilgrim route from Tibet to the sacred Mount Wutai. The caves were painted with Buddhist imagery, and their construction would have been an intensely religious process, involving prayers, incense and ritual fasting. The earliest wall paintings date back to the 5th century AD, with the older paintings showing scenes from the Buddha’s life, whilst those built after 600 AD depict scenes from Buddhist texts.
莫高窟，俗稱千佛洞，坐落在河西走廊西端的敦煌，以精美的壁畫和塑像聞名於世。它始建於十六國的前秦時期，歷經十六國、北朝、隋、唐、五代、西夏、元等歷代的興建，形成巨大的規模，現有洞窟735個、壁畫4.5萬平方米、泥質彩塑2415尊，是世界上現存規模最大、內容最豐富的佛教藝術地。近代以來，又發現了藏經洞，內有5萬餘件古代文物，並衍生出了一門專門研究藏經洞典籍和敦煌藝術的學科——敦煌學。但莫高窟在近代以來受到許多人為的損傷，文物大量流失，其完整性已被嚴重破壞。1961年，莫高窟被中華人民共和國國務院公佈為第一批全國重點文物保護單位之一。1987年12月，莫高窟被列為世界文化遺產。
China's ancient gate to the west revives
Established more than 2,100 years ago, the Yangguan Pass was an important outpost of the ancient Chinese empire. Although the magnificent construction has long gone, travelers can still connect with its glorious past, thanks to a museum at the site.
Amazing Views in Dunhuang Northwest China
Pretty montage at 9:06. Our journey is almost over! After spending the night in the desert, we joined the girls on their tour of various places in and near Dunhuang, including the Dunhuang Movie Set (敦煌影视城), Yangguan (阳关), Big Fangpan Castle (大方盘城), and Small Fangpan Castle (小方盘城) at Yumenguan (玉门关). Our final stop on the tour was Yadan (雅丹), which was definitely the highlight of the day. We took a shuttle bus in, as is required at many nature attractions in the area, and then rode back to the entrance on the Backfire Ranger X1 electric skateboards.
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All of us were exhausted because of climbing the sand dune multiple times at the desert and then sleeping for only a couple hours. We didn't get back to our hotels until late in the evening. Since the girls were leaving the next day, we had a final dinner together before crashing. (Fun fact: at that point none of us had a chance to shower in about two days and we still had a bunch of sand on us.)
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The next day, Max and I took a much needed break. We had a massage, I looked for a laundry place, got caught up with editing photos – and that's about it.
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The day after that, we visited a couple places in Aksay County – Big Sugan Lake (大苏干湖) and the abandoned town Aksay Old County (阿克塞老县城). In the video I express my dislike for those places but really it was mainly because they were so far from Dunhuang. I mean they were ok, but totally not worth sitting in a car for hours to get there.
❓ FAQ
What is this road trip about?
Daniel Kwan and Max Huang from Shanghai flew to Gansu Province to explore Ancient China's portion of the Silk Road using two Backfire Ranger X1 electric skateboards. This 2-week road trip was sponsored by Backfire Skateboards.
Where is that music from?
Artlist. Get a special deal here:
What equipment did you use during this road trip?
Yi action camera:
Canon mirrorless kit:
DJI Mavic Air:
Goggles:
GPS sports watch:
View the complete list and my comments here:
How do I contact you?
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Some of the links in this video or its description may be affiliate links, which means if you make a purchase through them, I might receive a small commission. This helps support the channel and allows me to continue to make videos like this. Thank you for the support! This road trip was sponsored by Backfire Skateboards.
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The everlasting Dunhuang 敦煌生命
The sixth episode The everlasting Dunhuang
Mogao Caves has a history of 1600 years, is a world well-known Buddhist monastery. There are tens of thousands of square metres of ancient fresco and Painted sculpture in Mogao Caves, which not only is the precious part of human culture, but also the pride of today`s Dunhuang.
莫高窟有一千六百年的历史，是举世闻名的佛教圣地。其中上万平米精美的古代壁画、彩塑，成为人类珍贵的文化遗产，更是今日敦煌的骄傲。
#New Silk Road
The NHK`s 80th anniversary documentary series New Silk Road was co-produced with CCTV in 2004-2005. For presented the past, the present and the future of Silk Road to audience, the producers drove SUVs along the Silk Road to visited local residents, and verificated many cultural relics.
该片作为日本广播开播80周年的纪念节目，于2004年至2005年与CCTV合作制作。制作方以朴实无华，脚踏实地的采访作风，几辆越野车，几台摄影机，走遍丝路，用文物的考证来解释过去的方法，用采访镜头来论证解说词观点的手法，将丝路的过去，现在和未来展现在观众面前。
Cave Temples of Dunhuang: History, Art, and Materiality (Video 4 of 7)
Session III: Wall Paintings: Art and Devotion
May 20, 2016, Getty Center, Los Angeles
Moderator and Session Chair: Hui-Shu Lee
Lectures by Sarah Fraser, Zhao Shengliang, and Eugene Wang
Closing remarks by Mimi Gardner Gates
A symposium in honor of the life and work of Fan Jinshi at the Mogao Grottoes
Complementing the exhibition “Cave Temples of Dunhuang: Buddhist Art on China's Silk Road,” this symposium brings together more than 20 international scholars. Their presentations on the Mogao Grottoes explore the unique confluence of historical perspectives, spiritual content, artistic practice, and innovative approaches to conservation. Keynote speaker Rong Xinjiang discusses Mogao's distinctive geography and history. Sessions address the media of wall paintings and manuscripts as well as the iconographic themes of the caves, particularly their deep and layered Buddhist content.
Learn more about the exhibition “Cave Temples of Dunhuang: Buddhist Art on China's Silk Road,” on view at the Getty Center from May 7 to September 4, 2016.
getty.edu/CaveTemples
Learn more about this event at the Getty Research Institute's website.
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Taking high speed train from Turpan to Dunhuang, China 439D498F 5154 479C A3D5 1918C8EF51EE
Dunhuang was of great importance as a defensive and cultural center on the western borders of the Chinese empire at various points in its history. The routes west going north and south of the Taklamakan Desert split near Dunhuang. The route to the south and southwest was guarded by the so-called Jade Gate (Yü Guan) and Southern Gate (Yang Guan) which were garrisoned and supplied from Dunhuang. The Dunhuang region was the site of very important Buddhist monastic complexes, the most famous of which was at the Mogao Grottoes, where today one can see a treasure trove of Buddhist art covering a span of more than a millenium.
Fortress of Jiayuguan and Desert Great Wall
katotan 中国・敦煌・玉門関 China, Dunhuang
中国・敦煌・玉門関 China, Dunhuang
「中国」四川省・シルクロードの巻
KATOTAN IN CHINA URL=
Cave Temples of Dunhuang: History, Art, and Materiality (Video 7 of 7)
Session VI: Religion and Ritual at Mogao
May 21, 2016, University of California, Los Angeles
Moderator and Session Chair: Robert Buswell
Lectures by Petra Rösch, Hsueh-man Shen, and Natasha Heller
Closing discussion and synthesis by Lothar von Falkenhausen
A symposium in honor of the life and work of Fan Jinshi at the Mogao Grottoes
Complementing the exhibition “Cave Temples of Dunhuang: Buddhist Art on China's Silk Road,” this symposium brings together more than 20 international scholars. Their presentations on the Mogao Grottoes explore the unique confluence of historical perspectives, spiritual content, artistic practice, and innovative approaches to conservation. Keynote speaker Rong Xinjiang discusses Mogao's distinctive geography and history. Sessions address the media of wall paintings and manuscripts as well as the iconographic themes of the caves, particularly their deep and layered Buddhist content.
Learn more about the exhibition “Cave Temples of Dunhuang: Buddhist Art on China's Silk Road,” on view at the Getty Center from May 7 to September 4, 2016.
getty.edu/CaveTemples
Learn more about this event at the Getty Research Institute's website.
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陽關三疊 - 郭淑珍 Guo Shuzhen - Yang Guan Triassic
Yang Guan Triassic is one of China's most famous Guqin (string instrument) songs. The song's origins go back to 1491. It is based on a 4 line seven character quatrain Send Yuan Er Shi Anxi.送元二使安西 (Seeing Yuaner off on a Mission to Anxi) written by Tang Dynasty poet Wang Wei王維(701-761) Wang Wei, from Taiyuan in Shanxi, was a well-known poet, painter, and musician of the Tang Dynasty (618-907). He wrote over 400 poems. The poems of the frontier fortress and the seclusion poems of the mountains are very popular with people all over the world.
The poet Su Shi wrote, 'In his poetry there is painting and in his painting there is poetry'. Weatherwise, Wang Wei 'paints' a picture of a natural and fitting day for Yuan's journey with the willow tree symbolic of parting. The mood is hopeful rather than sad, though the friends will deeply miss each other. They delay the parting for as long as they can sharing their farewell banquet. The lyrics of the song then expand upon this theme, a common one in classical poetry
The song 陽關三疊 is divided into three sections, with Wang Wei's poem sung at the beginning of each section, hence the name Yang Guan triassic. It is a three-stage tune with a pure and passionate melody, and appropriate melancholy. Yangguan was a pass near Dunhuang at the western end of the Great Wall. During the Han and Tang dynasties there was apparently an oasis town at Yangguan, built around a lake. It was China's westernmost cultural and administrative centre. The 2000 km trip from the Tang capital Chang'an to Yangguan would begin at Weicheng, on the Wei river. The departing friend, gets on a boat on the Wei, heading upriver, entering the Wu Mountains after about 200 km. The final destination was Anxi, a military region.
Guo Shuzhen, 郭淑珍, born on June 1, 1927 in Tianjin, Shandong Province, was another of the younger generation of singers who came to prominence during the Cultural Revolution, helping New China to continue its cultural heritage.. She graduated from the Central Conservatory of Music in 1952 and continued her studies at Tchaikovsky Music Conservatory in Moscow. She married Zhu Gongqi on December 15, 1959, a love that would last a lifetime. During the 1960s, she gave recitals in Beijing, Tianjin, Wuhan, Hong Kong, Leningrad and other places. She also visited and gave performances in many countries including: Germany, U.S.A., Canada, Cuba, Columbia, Venezuela and Austria. The China Record Corporation published a number of her repertoires including famous arias and art songs. All her recordings were highly praised by critics and audience. She received the Gold Album Award at the First National Album Awards Appraisal in 1989. Guo Shuzhen was awarded the best instructor prize for the art songs competition among the music conservatories all over the country in 1988. She also received the first prize of the National Education Achievements in 1997.
Mandarin
渭城朝雨浥輕塵 客舍青青柳色新
勸君更盡一杯酒 西出陽關無故人
遄行 遄行 長途越度關津
歷苦辛 歷苦辛 歷歷苦辛
宜自珍 宜自珍
渭城朝雨浥輕塵 客舍青青柳色新
勸君更盡一杯酒 西出陽關無故人
依依顧戀不忍離 淚滴沾巾
感懷 感懷 思君十二時辰
誰相因 誰相因 誰可相因
日馳神 日馳神
渭城朝雨浥輕塵 客舍青青柳色新
勸君更盡一杯酒 西出陽關無故人
旨酒 旨酒 未飲心已先醇
載馳駰 載馳駰 何日言旋軒轔
能酌幾多巡
千巡有盡 寸衷難泯 無窮的傷感
尺素申 尺素申 尺素頻申
如相親 如相親 噫~ 從今一別
兩地相思入夢頻 聞雁來賓
English Translation: Massive thanks to John Thompson at and to Jin Qiuyu 金秋雨
The morning rain at Weicheng dampens the light dust,
At the inn, the willows look lush and green once again.
I urge you, dear sir, to finish one more cup of wine, for
Going west through Yangguan there will be no old friends.
( the above 4 lines are Wng Wei's original poem)
Hurry along, hurry along, the journey is long, and the ferry awaits.
Endure, endure, endure hardship, and
Take good care, take good care.
2 Repeat Wang Wei's 4 lines ... then
Full of regret at parting, and filled with nostalgia, I cannot bear this separation; Teardrops soak the towel.
Yearning, yearning, longing for my good friend all twelve watches of the day.
Who can carry on, who can carry on, who is able to carry on?
Each day, my thoughts fly to you; each day, my thoughts fly to you.
3 Repeat Wang Wei's 4 lines ... then
Excellent wine, excellent wine; even without a sip the heart is already intoxicated.
Pulled by galloping dappled horses, pulled by galloping dappled horses,
On what day will we be able to speak again, when I hear the rumble of your returning carriage?
How many rounds can we pour?
Even after a thousand rounds have been finished, one inch of sentiment can’t be extinguished, infinite sadness
Bring the message, bring the message, again and again bring the message,
So as to meet again, to meet again. Alas! From today on, we separate.
Two lands apart, but close in dreams. I hear the migrating wild geese coming as guests.
Northern Survey Supply - The Scanning of Dunhuang Grottoes
Digital Dunhuang Grottoes
Liesmars (State Key Lab of Information Engineering in Surveying, Mapping and Remote Sensing) - Wuhan University, China
Presented at the Leica Hexagon International Conference
June,8th 2011 Orlando, USA
The Mogao Caves, or Mogao Grottoes (Chinese: 莫高窟; pinyin: Mògāo kū) (also known as the Caves of the Thousand Buddhas and Dunhuang Caves) form a system of 492 temples 25 km (16 mi) southeast of the center of Dunhuang, an oasis strategically located at a religious and cultural crossroads on the Silk Road, in Gansu province, China. The caves contain some of the finest examples of Buddhist art spanning a period of 1,000 years.[1] The first caves were dug out 366 AD as places of Buddhist meditation and worship.[2] The Mogao Caves are the best known of the Chinese Buddhist grottoes and, along with Longmen Grottoes and Yungang Grottoes, are one of the three famous ancient Buddhist sculptural sites of China. - Wikipedia
Live: Traveling in time to the heyday of the ancient Silk Road
CGTN reporters are now at the Yangguan Pass, China’s earliest border crossing outside the city of Dunhuang — an important stop on the ancient Silk Road to see how people traveled at ancient times.
Dunhuang Great Wall
Dunhuang Great Wall
Russia and China: Through the Ages. China breathes modern life into the ancient Silk Road
China first revealed itself to the world in the 2nd century BC with the Great Silk Road. The legendary trade route ran from the heart of the Celestial Empire all the way to the Mediterranean Sea. However, it suddenly vanished in the Middle Ages and seemed to be gone forever… until recently.
The Chinese government has decided to reach back into history with a grand initiative dubbed ‘One Belt, One Road’. The objective is to breathe new life into the ancient trading corridor to develop and enhance both economic and cultural partnerships with the other countries along the route.
Because Russia holds a special place among the many countries involved, a media-forum was organized to give Russian journalists a taste of modern China. Among those invited was radio and TV presenter, Anna Alabert, who is our guide as she travels the Chinese section of the modern-day Silk Road.
The first stop is Xi’an, famous for its awe-inspiring terracotta army. The 3,100 year-old city has now become a high-tech hub and home to a joint Russian-Chinese techno park symbolically named ‘The Silk Road.’
Next, we head to Lanzhou. Though the city was once considered the crown of jewel of the old Silk Road, as recently as 50 years ago it was just a humble town with little infrastructure. Today, Lanzhou has regained its status as a major transport hub and looks like a giant construction site as it evolves into a futuristic city.
On to Dunhuang, the city Marco Polo visited in the late 13th century. Travellers on the old Silk Road used to flock here to see the famous Mogao caves, which contain thousands of stunning sculptures and frescos dating from the 4th century AD. Also nearby is Yangguan, which marked China’s frontier in ancient times and served as a customs point for merchant caravans.
Last stop is the seemingly nondescript Qorghas, which has become a commercial Mecca thanks to the Silk Road revival. Dubbed a ‘duty-free town’, its wide selection of goods and remarkably low prices now attract millions of visitors from around the world.
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2016 第八天到 敦煌 莫高窟 - 2016 青海甘肅敦煌 (絲綢之路) 9 of 9 (想看更多影片記得訂閱)
第八天到 敦煌 莫高窟 (想看更多影片記得訂閱)
莫高窟
莫高窟，俗稱千佛洞，坐落在河西走廊西端的敦煌。
它始建於十六國的前秦時期，歷經十六國、北朝、隋、唐、五代、西夏、元等歷代的興建，形成巨大的規模，有洞窟735個，壁畫4.5萬平方米、泥質彩塑2415尊，是世界上現存規模最大、內容最豐富的佛教藝術地。
莫高窟始建於十六國時期，據唐《李克讓重修莫高窟佛龕碑》一書的記載，前秦建元二年（366年），僧人樂尊路經此山，忽見金光閃耀，如現萬佛，於是便在岩壁上開鑿了第一個洞窟。此後法良禪師等又繼續在此建洞修禪，稱為“漠高窟”，意為“沙漠的高處”。後世因“漠”與“莫”通用，便改稱為“莫高窟”。另有一說為：佛家有言，修建佛洞功德無量，莫者，不可能、沒有也，莫高窟的意思，就是說沒有比修建佛窟更高的修為了。
敦煌石窟營建的一千年曆程，時值中國歷中上兩漢以後長期分裂割據，走向民族融合、南北統一，臻於大唐之鼎盛，又由顛峰而式微的重要發展時期。