One

  In the year 366 AD, a monk began to excavate a cave in the eastern cliff of Mount Mingsha, southeast of Dunhuang. Later generations continued this work, which eventually became the famous Mogao Caves.

  Buddhism was initially spread in India, and the caves were places for monks to practice, but they did not carve or paint Buddha images inside. Instead, they used symbolic objects as substitutes, such as the golden bull, Buddhist pagodas, and dharma pillars. Later, during the Gandhara period, under the influence of Greek sculptors brought by Alexander the Great's eastern campaign, people began to carve Buddha image caves. As a result, people can often find obvious traces of Greek sculpture there.

  That is to say, the Buddha statues and stone caves alone have already encompassed both Indian and Greek civilizations. These caves are mostly located in remote mountains and hills, and from a distance, they do not look impressive at all. Who would know that inside them lies the splendor of two great civilizations?

  Buddhism, as soon as it entered China from India, immediately understood that this was a country where stories needed to be told in a popular and figurative way. Therefore, in the art of stone cave sculpture, more and more intense secular Chinese civilization was incorporated. As a result, against the backdrop of human civilizations, generation after generation of Buddha statues were solemnly, yet popularly, smiling, happy, acting, bitter, and sacrificing in the caves. Gradually, all this became connected with Chinese history by blood ties, even becoming a history carved out of solid stone.

  The Mogao Caves are a typical example of this.

  Two

  Looking at Mogao Caves is not looking at a thousand-year-old specimen, but looking at a thousand years of life.

  It is amazing that the various political forces around Mogao Caves have been fighting each other to death, but they are all willing to do some good for Mogao Caves.

  The royal family of the Northern Wei and the nobility of the Northern Zhou played a significant role in the construction of Mogao Caves, not to mention the prosperous scenes of Mogao Caves during the Sui Dynasty, early Tang Dynasty, and heyday of Tang Dynasty. Even after the "An Shi Rebellion", the Tibetan forces that occupied Dunhuang, as well as Zhang Yichao's army that drove out the Tibetan forces, who were sworn enemies, also repaired and protected Mogao Caves.

  The Cao regime of the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period made significant contributions to Mogao Caves, and during the Song Dynasty, the Western Xia and Mongol regimes that successively occupied this region also did not damage the caves. The decline of Mogao Caves began in the Yuan Dynasty, mainly due to the fact that the Mongolian army opened up the Eurasian trade route, weakening the role of the Silk Road, and Dunhuang became deserted.

  Why do so many brave generals and powerful people bow their heads in front of Mogao Caves? I think, first, it's because this place is related to human faith, second, it's because this place has become history. The power of religion and the power of time are enough to calm down those fervent souls, producing a sense of reverence. They suddenly become like children, who have been running wild all along, but here they open their eyes wide, hoping to gain religious judgment and temporal judgment.

  In this process, what is more worth paying attention to is the participation of all people. Buddhism in Mogao Caves got rid of its profound and mysterious connotation, and presented the contents such as cause-and-effect retribution, seeking blessings and eliminating disasters, being richly dressed and fed, and having many children in a popular way, which was very close to the common people. Apart from murals and sculptures, Mogao Caves were also the places where local people held circumambulation and vegetarian meetings, and where they enjoyed daily entertainment and sightseeing. However, this trend of massification did not make it degenerate into a village temple fair, because Dunhuang area had always owned many high-ranking monks, noble scholars, and learned sages, who maintained the main body of faith in Mogao Caves.

  In Mogao Caves, I often get lost in thought. The dim natural light from the skylight above faintly shines on the murals and sculptures, blending them into one entity, as if they all came alive in a haze. Behind them, it seems like you can still see the crowds of people who came here to worship back then, surrounding the monks wearing kasayas. There are also many painters and sculptors busy at work around them. So many people gradually left, and another batch arrived. Batch after batch formed a generation, and generations went on continuously.

  There were also sounds: Buddha's name, the sound of cymbals, the sound of chanting scriptures, the sound of wooden fish, the sound of fluttering flags, the sound of people's laughter and conversation, as well as the sound of mountain wind outside the cave, the sound of flowing water, the sound of horse hooves, and the sound of camel bells.

  After watching for a while, after listening for a while, I found myself being swept away. Unwillingly, stumbling and staggering, I was carried by the tide of people, melted by the waves of sound, transformed by an unyielding faith that has lasted for thousands of years.

  Such a viewing is a dizziness, both very intoxicating and very vague. Therefore, I couldn't help but wander alone at the foot of the mountain after the museum closed in the twilight, when all the crowds had left, to slowly recall my memories, to find myself again.

  The evening wind started, with fine sand, blowing my cheeks sore. The desert moon was exceptionally clear and cold, with a spring flowing at the foot of the mountain, shimmering in the moonlight. Anyway, my thoughts were slightly clearer.

  Three

  I remember that every time I entered a cave, I would rush to the age sign first, quickly calculate the age, and then respectfully raise my head.

  The oldest, already over 1,600 years old, is considered a work of the Sixteen Kingdoms period in Chinese history. The bodhisattva on the mural still has a Western godly appearance and can even be seen to have originated from India, with deep lines and bold strokes, strong three-dimensionality, and bare-chested, retaining the hot air of the Ganges River bank. Other murals depict fierce hearts that are willing to sacrifice their lives in bloody hardships, looking a bit terrifying, and it can be imagined what kind of atmosphere of hardship existed at that time.

  Next should be my long-awaited Wei, Jin, Northern and Southern Dynasties: the cyan brown color is still thick, and the bold brushstrokes are like swords. In the Central Plains, there were so many elegant scholars who looked down on the chaotic world, and at this time, the cave also began to show a free and easy style, even the Bodhisattva became slender and lively from its original short and stout body. Some images have a delicate bone and a clear appearance, and even a sickly beauty, as if echoing the tastes of the Central Plains scholars.

  There were many scenes where various musical instruments appeared, and I couldn't name them all.

  There were many young women with floating ribbons flying up, they were apsaras. They predicted the trend of all-round dance movement, which was reached in the Sui Dynasty. A layman named Vimalakirti was frequently depicted, making people think that some aristocratic families at that time tried to elevate themselves in Buddhist ideals. The murals no longer showed asceticism, only luxury. Even the beauty of pathology disappeared, and the skin became increasingly plump. Those sculptures were slightly short-legged and large-headed, with a calm and peaceful atmosphere brought by the horseback riding experience.

  The entire picture exudes a joyful atmosphere, reminiscent of the Tang Dynasty. The spring breeze is vast and majestic, all things are awakened, even birds are dancing, and flowers are blooming in patterns. Heaven and earth are connected, each expression is vivid, every brushstroke is creative. Women are increasingly taking center stage, whether they are bodhisattvas or donors, they all embody full feminine beauty. With confidence, their expressions become even more serene, simple, and natural. The Buddhist scene in the painting is mainly based on Pure Land Buddhism, inspiring people that as long as they chant Buddha's name, they can enter a beautiful pure land together. Even this simple ideal is filled with the lightheartedness and optimism unique to the prosperous Tang Dynasty.

  The worldly figures in the Tang Dynasty paintings, whether they are armored generals, Western merchants, robust warriors or governors' wives, all have a spirited and radiant appearance. What's even more remarkable is that I clearly saw a certain kind of vigor reminiscent of Wu Daozi's painting style in these figure images, and discovered the brilliant brushwork of Li Sixun and his son Li Zhaodao in the background landscape. Joy has thus become classic. Becoming classic while still joyful, not a bit pretentious.

  Apart from murals, the sculptures of the Tang Dynasty are even more elegant and unrestrained, no longer lean and gaunt, no longer stiff, with every eyebrow, eye, mouth and corner of the lips overflowing with smiles, and even the folds of their clothes flowing like music.

  Everything in the Tang Dynasty cave is not repetitive, nor stereotyped. I immediately understood that true joy cannot be repeated, just like true human nature cannot be stereotyped. As a result, the joy of the Tang Dynasty triggered long-lasting joy, and the human nature of the Tang Dynasty fit into eternal human nature, everything merged into one. In a daze, it seemed that there was nothing in the bustling cave, no paintings, no sculptures, no years, and no thoughts, everything wanted to evaporate, but didn't want to go anywhere, only here, in the cave, in the Tang Dynasty, under Wu Daozi's brush.

  Suddenly, I was taken aback by a strange work that depicted a story of filial piety and loyalty. Unlike other similar stories, this Buddhist disciple was helping his exiled parents complete their mission to restore the country. A guess immediately arose in my mind, and I bent down to look at the date marker - indeed, it was created after the "An Shi Rebellion".

  "The An Shi Rebellion" was like a long whip, which suddenly divided the Tang Dynasty into two halves. Dunhuang was attacked and occupied by Tubo because the Tang army went east to suppress the rebellion, so the content of helping parents complete their restoration career in exile in murals is not empty talk.

  The majestic will is engraved on the cave wall, but the miserable years are engraved on the earth. The grand Tang Dynasty has become difficult to recall. The subsequent caves seem to have lost their vitality one by one. There are also scenes that appear to be bustling, but the simulated bustle can only be monotonous.

  In the monotony, I remember there was a dancer who played the pipa with his hands behind his back, which made my eyes light up.

  As I looked further, the content of the cave murals became more and more secular. Even Buddhist themes were transformed into realistic depictions of everyday life. The heavenly realm was transformed into a family courtyard, and sermons on doctrine were transformed into storytelling sessions by traveling performers. Of course, this is not bad either, it has a strong flavor of life, and it reminds me of the "Washuo" and "Zhu Gong Diao" in Chinese drama history.

  Between the Tang and Song dynasties, there was still some dull magnificence; but by the time of the Song dynasty, it had moved towards a cold and impoverished state. I am not reconciled to this. The Song dynasty was an era when China had Su Dongpo, Wang Anshi, Sima Guang, Zhu Xi, Lu You, Li Qingzhao, and Xin Qiji, so how could Dunhuang be like this? I think it has something to do with the struggles of big and small regimes in the Hexi Corridor. In the endless cycle of turmoil, the cultural atmosphere was blocked, and remote areas could only consume desolation.

  By the Yuan Dynasty, Tibetan Esoteric Buddhist murals appeared, with themes no longer adhering to real life, presenting a mysterious and terrifying style that we are not quite used to. However, the strokes were exquisite and intricate, with a strong decorative flavor, reminiscent of Tangkas.

  This is an era of mutual visits and conquests between nations, with Mongolian culture and Tibetan culture rising and falling in this region. However, a European traveler came here after reporting to the outside world that it was very stable, he was Marco Polo.

  The Mogao Caves in Ming and Qing dynasties have little memory left.

  Four

  After I hastily thought back in the night, I felt that this seemingly ordinary "small hill" in front of me was actually a strange place.

  It is a museum on the Hexi Corridor, also half of China's art history, and the intersection of several civilizations. It is deep and silent, perhaps depth is the reason for silence.

  But just like other things in the world, everything sounds good when it's thriving, but once it starts to decline, some struggles ensue.

  In the 1920s, Mogao Caves became a temporary residence for White Russian soldiers. The soldiers set up stoves in the caves, cooked meals and produced smoke and oil stains that covered many murals and sculptures. They also used wooden sticks dipped in black ink to scribble on the murals.

  After these soldiers left, a group of Americans soon arrived. They were scholars who severely criticized the White Russian soldiers' atrocities and vowed on the spot to save the Mogao Caves cultural relics. Their method of "salvation" was to use chemical solvents to peel off the murals from the walls and take them back to America.

  First and foremost, there are two American scholars whose names I want to mention here: one is Landon Warner of Harvard University, the other is Horace Jayne of the Pennsylvania Museum.

  Langdon Warner's bringing back of the Mogao Caves murals to America caused a sensation, and he was extremely regretful that he had not brought enough chemical solvents at first, so he came again for the second time. This time, he simply brought a chemical solvent mixing expert, and it seemed that they were about to make a big move in the Mogao Caves.

  However, he later wrote in his memoirs that this time at Mogao Caves encountered great trouble:

  The situation became very tricky, with dozens of villagers putting down their work and running from about fifteen kilometers away to monitor our actions... so as to have a reason to attack us or use force to drive us out.

  In the end, they just took some photos of the ruins and couldn't take anything away. Not a drop of chemical solvent was used either.

  Later, Warner read a book in the United States that was written by a translator named Chen Wanli whom he had hired from Beijing during his second trip to Mogao Caves. Only then did he realize that the information those villagers received was leaked by this translator. Mr. Chen Wanli left Warner on the second day of his arrival in Dunhuang, citing his mother's illness, but actually informed the villagers what the Americans were going to do.

  For this, I would like to pay tribute to Mr. Chen Wanli.

  An unknown ordinary intellectual, plus dozens of local villagers he previously could not have known, actually accomplished such a big thing in an extremely short period of time. In comparison, I look at those irresponsible officials and those translators who assist the tyrant, how can they find excuses?

  Mr. Chen Wanli is not only a translator, but also a doctor and scholar. Another Chinese scholar with the surname Chen once said: "Dunhuang is the sorrowful history of our country's academic field." This Mr. Chen was called Chen Yinque, who later completely lost his sight in both eyes.

  Mr. Chen Yinque is gone, but we are still wide awake. The Mogao Caves relics that Mr. Chen Wanli and the villagers were unable to rescue in time are still drifting away in the distance. Since outsiders covet them so much, it's clear they are indeed the essence of all humanity, so let's put them outside. However, they record our ancestors' faith and joys and sorrows over generations; whenever we have a chance, we must rush to visit them, gazing at them for a long time through the thick glass of foreign museums, reminding ourselves repeatedly.

  The Mogao Caves are stretched very long by those relics, almost encircling the entire earth. So, our mood is also stretched, along with the smile of Tang Song Yuan Ming Qing that has not withered for thousands of years, extending to the whole world.