Visitors to the Mogao caves are mostly Han Chinese from other parts of China. It's not easy to travel independently in China because of the language though there are a sprinkling of intrepid foreigners. We met another American from Seattle who was traveling alone and don't speak a word of Mandarin. Dunhuang is a sleepy oasis town sitting right smack on the silk road. A few hundred years ago a monk traveling in that area began to carve out a cave in the desert rock just outside Dunhuang. It is a quiet place that is so inaccessible and ideal for meditating and safe from the marauding Xiongnu tribe who ruled this area during the early days. After being exposed to Buddhism brought in by traders from India, early Chinese monks began to go to India to learn more about the faith. Over the next few centuries, more caves became to carved, frescoes added, sculptures added, sutras being translated, the number of caves grew and the also the number of monks. These caves became a fully fledged Buddhist monastery and after the decline of the silk road, they were forgotten until scavenging explorers from the West came and started carting off whatever they can to their home countries. A lot of caves were destroyed by the Communists during the cultural revolution, they didn't tolerate religion. But today there remains some seven hundred caves with precious frescoes and sculptures.
No comments:
Post a Comment