Why We Love Dunhuang

Among all the mythical beasts in Dunhuang, the Chinese dragon, or loong, undoubtedly holds the top stop. Dunhuang not only has a diverse collection of different loong patterns, it's also the home to a very unique one that can hardly be found anywhere else.

The Dunhuang Night Market shines like a hidden gem amidst the dazzling culture and historical heritage of Dunhuang. What do locals in Dunhuang love to eat? Where can we find these special delicacies? What other interesting and enjoyable things are there to do and see?

The art treasures of Dunhuang have captivated generations of people. Among them is the “daughter of Dunhuang”, who has spent more than half a century researching and preserving the caves at the heart of the ancient Silk Road. Who is she? What’s her indissoluble bond with Dunhuang?

How did people make wine over 1000 years ago? How did the ancient blacksmiths do their work? Yulin Cave 3 is an encyclopedia where you can find all the answers.

The murals of Yulin Cave 29 record a unique baldheaded hairstyle of the local males over 1000 years ago. What made the hairstyle so popular? And why was the cave called the “State Preceptor Cave”?

Constructed on two sharp cliffs facing each other, and covering a period of more than 1500 years, the Yulin Caves are the twins of the Mogao Caves. It’s the only place in Dunhuang, where you can find an interethnic wedding being held in earthly heaven.

French Sinologist Paul Pelliot brought lots of precious Dunhuang Manuscripts back to France, among which, was a complicated lawsuit, that happened over 1,000 years ago, and which was recorded in detail.

Britain has the world largest collection of Dunhuang Manuscripts and other relics. What are some of the most amazing ones and what are the stories behind them? Who was the Sogdian woman who amazed world researchers more than 1,000 years later?

Why are the items found inside Dunhuang’s Library Cave so precious? What are the treasures included in the Dunhuang Manuscripts? Why is Dunhuang also related to the history of world astronomy?

The Dunhuang Manuscripts constitute the largest repositories of religious, scientific, and literary texts detailing aspects of life in China and abroad during the medieval period. Among them, you can find the world’s earliest printed book.

Among all the caves in the Dunhuang Mogao complex, Cave 465 is different in many ways. Why are there images of a male deity embracing a female deity inside Cave 465? What’s the unique charm of this cave?

When Dunhuang ushered in the Song Dynasty, could it still copy the glories of the Tang Dynasty? How could a man save 10,000 dying fish in Cave 55?

Who is the Bodisatffa associated with wisdom? What can we learn from a huge map painting of a sacred mountain in China? Let’s find the answers in Cave 61.

Why did the 12 Western astrological signs appear in the Dunhuang Mogao Cave 61 a thousand years ago? What are the stories behind the cave donors?

Dunhuang Mogao Cave 196, built in the Late Tang period, shows a fierce and magnificent competition of magical powers.

Cave 156 was constructed in Dunhuang in honor of a great general, who upheld the last glory of the fading Tang Dynasty.

Cave 17, otherwise known as the Library Cave, is perhaps, the most famous cave in Dunhuang. Why is there a vivid monk statue inside this cave? Who was he?

Guess who is the second most famous woman in the Tang Dynasty? Why is she blamed for triggering a major military rebellion that led to the decline of the Tang? And how did Cave 159, built in the Middle Tang, reflect the changing times?

Inside Dunhuang Mogao Cave 130, we can find the second largest Buddha statue in Dunhuang, the largest Apsara and Bodhisattva images, as well as a grand fashion show of the Tang Dynasty.

Nirvana is the ‘ultimate state of being’ in Buddhism. Cave 148 of the Dunhuang Mogao complex is a special cave dedicated to this purpose, where it’s possible to sense the feeling of Nirvana.

In Cave 103 of the Dunhuang Mogao complex, you can still find the long-lost landscape painting style of the Tang Dynasty, as well as a story about how to achieve long-term goals.

Inside the Buddhist world of Dunhuang, there is also a playground for children. Let’s meet some kids who have special skills in Cave 79.

Although the Mogao Caves are located in the northern part of China, you can find pictured here poetic rural scenery which only belongs in the southern part of China. That’s in Cave 23, another artistic cave built in the High Tang period.

The art of the Tang Dynasty reached its peak in the High Tang period. In this episode, we’ll visit the most representative cave built in this period where you can have a ‘heart to heart’ with those amazing, sculptured figures.

A non-Chinese figure was depicted on the wall of Dunhuang Cave 217. Who was he? Why was his name related to one of China’s most famous Buddhist mountains?