Why We Love Dunhuang
Podrobnosti kanálu
Why We Love Dunhuang
Dunhuang is a place born in legends. Its unique charm has attracted people around the globe to come and worship. In this podcast series, we bring you to Dunhuang, and walk you through the reasons why we love Dunhuang.
Nedávné epizody
59 epizodEP 55: Which is the No. 1 auspicious beast in Dunhuang?
Among all the mythical beasts in Dunhuang, the Chinese dragon, or loong, undoubtedly holds the top stop.
Dunhuang not only has a divers...
The luminous Dunhuang night market
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...
EP 54: Dunhuang is where my heart belongs
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...
EP 53: A treasure book on the wall
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 th...
EP 52: The State Preceptor Cave
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 w...
EP 51: A unique wedding in an earthly paradise
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...
EP 50: Lawsuit of widow A’long
French Sinologist Paul Pelliot brought lots of precious Dunhuang Manuscripts back to France, among which, was a complicated lawsuit, that happened ove...
EP 49: The Sogdian letters
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 beh...
EP 48: A glance at the Dunhuang Manuscripts
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...
EP 47: World earliest printed book
The Dunhuang Manuscripts constitute the largest repositories of religious, scientific, and literary texts detailing aspects of life in China and abroa...
EP 46: Love conquers all
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 i...
EP 45: How to save 10,000 dying fish ?
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?
EP 44: Map of Mount Wutai
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...
EP 43: The 12 western zodiac signs
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?
EP 42: A competition of supernatural powers
Dunhuang Mogao Cave 196, built in the Late Tang period, shows a fierce and magnificent competition of magical powers.
EP 41: A cave in honor of General Zhang
Cave 156 was constructed in Dunhuang in honor of a great general, who upheld the last glory of the fading Tang Dynasty.
EP 40: The most famous cave in Dunhuang
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...
EP 39: From High Tang to Middle Tang
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...
EP 38: A fashion show in the kingdom of giants
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 gran...
EP 37: Buddha’s grand funeral
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 p...
EP 36: Parable of the phantom city
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...
EP 35: Regaining the joy of childhood
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.
EP 34: The spring rain drops on the green land
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...
EP 33: A rendezvous with the group of seven
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 w...
EP 32: A pioneer of culture communication
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 mounta...
EP 31: The beauty cave in Dunhuang
Among all the Bodhisattva images in Dunhuang, Cave 57 has the most beautiful one. Let’s meet the Venus of the East!
EP 30: The giant Buddha and the powerful empress
Cave 96 is an iconic building in Dunhuang. It not only has the largest statue in Dunhuang, but it is also related to the only female emperor in Chines...
EP 29: A Chinese diplomat and his celebrity effect
Cave 323 tells stories of how Buddhism came to China, and the story was related to one of the most famous diplomats in ancient China.
EP 28: The paradises of east and west
History generally regards the Tang Dynasty, as a high point of Chinese civilization. Which cave in Dunhuang best represents the changing art style of...
EP 27: Buddhism rises again
The Sui Dynasty united China but it only lasted for 37 years. However, more than 100 caves were built in Dunhuang during this period. What caused the...
EP 26: The prince and the hungry tigress
The Northern Zhou Dynasty was not a period in favour of Buddhism in China, but Cave 428 built during this time has the largest number of donor images...
EP 25: Fantastic beasts and Queen Mother of the West
Dunhuang Mogao Cave 249 is a grand gathering of magical animals and deities from Chinese mythology, as well as some from other cultures. Who are they...
EP 24: Conversion of 500 bandits
With its design, rich content, religious objects, aesthetic ideals, and art form, Cave 285 is considered one of the most special in Dunhuang. It also...
EP 23: The earliest-dated cave in Dunhuang
What makes Cave 285 one of the most special ones in Dunhuang? Why it is the earliest-dated cave in Dunhuang? and what do the sun god and moon god look...
EP 22: Mona Lisa of the East
Among all the Buddha statues in the Mogao Grottoes, which one has gained fame as the “Mona Lisa of the East” with his attractive and mysterious smile?
EP 21: The Nine-Colored Deer
On the mural paintings of Cave 257, you can find one of the most famous mythical creatures in china, the Nine-Colored Deer. What’s the story of this m...
EP 20: King Sibi and the dove
Why would a prince give up the secular world and pursue a religious life? Why would a king offer his flesh to save a dove? The wall paintings of Dunhu...
EP 19: The cross-legged Bodhisattva and dog-looking lions
The earliest caves in Dunhuang were constructed about 1,600 years ago. What do the caves look like? How could ancient Chinese sculptors tackle the pro...
EP 18: Horses in Dunhuang
In the modern Olympic Games, equestrian is the only category of sport where athletes work with animals. The relation between humans and horses were al...
EP 17: Living in Dunhuang
How did the Dunhuang people live more than a thousand years ago? What was their attitude towards life and death? Their happiness and struggles have al...