日韩精品久久一区二区三区_亚洲色图p_亚洲综合在线最大成人_国产中出在线观看_日韩免费_亚洲综合在线一区

Global EditionASIA 中文雙語Fran?ais
Culture
Home / Culture / Heritage

Layers of sacred reflections

Centuries of artistry turned the Mogao Caves into silent witnesses of China's unfolding cultural and political saga, Zhao Xu reports in Dunhuang, Gansu.

By Zhao Xu | China Daily | Updated: 2025-05-08 10:00
Share
Share - WeChat
A wall of Cave 61 features prominent women of the Cao family.[Photo provided to China Daily]

One theme that continually echoes through the world-renowned Mogao Caves in Dunhuang, Gansu province, is the passage of time. Tour guides often point out that the black elephant and black horse depicted in two frescoes — illustrating the mythical birth of Shakyamuni, the historical founder of Buddhism, and his departure from a life of luxury in pursuit of enlightenment — were originally painted white. Their darkened appearance today is the result of oxidation over a millennium.

The same chemical process affected the lead white pigment once applied to certain facial features to enhance structure and dimensionality — similar to how makeup is used today. As these white highlights darkened over time, some faces in the Dunhuang frescoes exude an eerie, haunting beauty.

However, the most powerful reminder of the progression of time lies not in the transformation of color but in the visible layering of history itself, as centuries of devotion and artistry accumulate one atop another, says Zhong Na, a senior tour guide who has visited the caves countless times over the past 20 years.

According to Zhong, though new caves were continually carved starting from the mid-4th century, it was common for each new generation of artists to add to the visions of those who came before — plastering over the works of their predecessors to paint their own sacred reflections of the Buddhist realm.

Known as chongceng bihua, or "multilayered frescoes", the phenomenon finds a striking parallel in the history of Western oil painting. Through techniques like X-ray fluorescence and infrared reflectography, conservators have discovered hidden compositions beneath the visible one — a practice known as pentimento (from the Italian pentirsi, meaning "to repent") in which artists reconsider their vision or repurpose a canvas. At times, these earlier images were painted over simply out of practicality, such as saving materials.

In Dunhuang, this practice has played a vital role in preserving the past. The top layers of murals, added by later generations, help protect the underlying artwork, slowing oxidation and discoloration. As a result, when the surface layer eventually deteriorates, the exposed lower layers often remain in relatively good condition. Even without the top layer falling away, the different strata can still be glimpsed along the edges, where broken portions reveal the cross-sections of the walls.

"In this sense, the Dunhuang frescoes are like a book — each page capturing a distinct era bound together by the thread of history," says Zhong. "It tells something about a cultural tradition that grounds the ancient Chinese civilization."

Interestingly, the same layering applies to the floors. In Cave 96 — home to the largest Buddha statue in Dunhuang — floors built during the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911) rest atop those from the Ming (1368-1644), which in turn overlay earlier layers from the Yuan (1271-1368), Xixia (Western Xia) (1038-1227) and Tang (618-907) dynasties, dating back to the cave's original construction in the late 7th century. "We've had to revise the recorded height of the cave multiple times with each discovery of a deeper floor beneath," Zhong admits.

1 2 3 4 5 Next   >>|
Most Popular
Top
BACK TO THE TOP
English
Copyright 1995 - . All rights reserved. The content (including but not limited to text, photo, multimedia information, etc) published in this site belongs to China Daily Information Co (CDIC). Without written authorization from CDIC, such content shall not be republished or used in any form. Note: Browsers with 1024*768 or higher resolution are suggested for this site.
License for publishing multimedia online 0108263

Registration Number: 130349
FOLLOW US
主站蜘蛛池模板: 精品一区二区三区免费 | 性做久久久久久 | 亚洲五月 | 国产欧美久久一区二区三区 | 日韩经典欧美一区二区三区 | 日韩精品在线一区 | 在线观看成人 | 免费亚洲黄色 | 波多野吉衣 免费一区 | 成人免费视频观看视频 | 激情毛片| 日韩免费播放 | 国产亚洲美女精品久久久久 | 亚洲欧洲av在线 | 狠狠躁躁夜夜躁波多野结依 | 国产成人综合久久精品红 | 国产欧美综合精品一区二区 | 性色欧美 | 一级欧美视频 | 精品视频在线播放 | 国产综合精品 | 天天干天天拍天天射 | 狠狠av| 久久观看 | 成人在线免费观看 | 欧美日韩国产在线人成dvd | 国产精品久久久久久影视 | 黄色片的网站 | 无码日本亚洲一区久久精品 | 国产精品香蕉 | 国产精品v在线播放观看 | 国产日韩一区二区 | 97av| 免费一级欧美性大片 | 丁香综合五月 | 日韩一区二区三区四区五区 | 97色免费视频 | 欧美特级 | av网站免费看 | 青青草无限次破解版污 | 青青草免费国产线观720 |