In the Spring and Autumn Period, this place was named Guazhou because of its "good real estate melon". During the Warring States Period, the State of Yue gradually became stronger, annexed Qiang people and drove away Wusun who belonged to the State of Yue.

During the Qin and Han Dynasties, the Huns who lived in the north rose, defeated the Yue people and occupied Dunhuang. When Emperor Wu of the Western Han Dynasty counterattacked the Huns, the Huns were forced to "go far away" and Hexi area was incorporated into the territory of the Han Dynasty. In the sixth year of Ding Yuan (before 1 1 1), Dunhuang County was established, which means "Dun, Great Cause, Brilliance and Prosperity", and it was one of the four counties in Hexi.

Zhang Qian's "hollowing out" trip to the western regions opened the far-reaching Silk Road. When Xin Mang was renamed Dunde. Founded in the Eastern Han Dynasty, it was renamed Dunhuang County. Dou Rong led Hexi to surrender. As the northern Xiongnu controlled the western regions, Dunhuang County not only shouldered the heavy responsibility of resisting the Xiongnu attack. During this period, Dunhuang's economic development and status improved, and the deputy governor in charge of western affairs of the central government stationed in Dunhuang and became the military and political center for governing the western regions.

After Cao Pi usurped the throne, he sent troops to wipe out the separatist forces in Hexi and appointed Yin as the magistrate of Dunhuang. During the Western Jin Dynasty, a number of famous Confucian scholars appeared in Dunhuang, such as Suo Jing, Suoyin, Song Xian and Panteng. Liang Qian was in the desert, and the sandbar was here, which later became the capital of Xiliang.

When the Eastern Jin Dynasty was cool, Dunhuang, Jinchang and Gaochang counties jointly established Shazhou with Duhu, Wu Si and Yumen Guards. In the second year of the former Qin Dynasty (366), the Mogao Grottoes were excavated; In the fourth year of Long 'an (400 years), Li Jue established Xiliang State, with Dunhuang as its capital.

In the early Northern Wei Dynasty (439), Dunhuang Town was established, Guazhou was established in 526, and Dunhuang was the governing place. During the Han and Wei Dynasties, there were frequent wars, but Dunhuang's economy became increasingly prosperous, and the Central Plains culture spread and Buddhism spread eastward, becoming the cultural center of Wuliang. Shazhou was founded in the early Northern Zhou Dynasty and was named Mingshan County in 564. It belongs to Dunhuang County and was named after Mingsha Mountain.

In the early Sui Dynasty, Guazhou was abolished as a county, and Dunhuang was occupied by nomadic Turks and Tuguhun people in the early period. After Yang Di ascended the throne, he sent troops to break Tuyuhun, and the western Turks were forced to surrender and regain control of Dunhuang, and the Silk Road was reopened. In the third year of Daye (607), Dunhuang County was restored, and Bamin Shaxian County was renamed Dunhuang County.

In the second year of Tang Wude (6 19), Shazhou was established, and Dunhuang entered a prosperous period. In the second year of Jianzhong (78 1), it was occupied by Tubo. In the second year of Xuanzong of Tang Dynasty (848), Zhang Yichao, a native of Shazhou, recruited troops to rally an uprising, retaken Dunhuang City after a bloody battle and returned Hexi area to the Tang Dynasty. In the fifth year of Dazhong (85 1), Tang Ting established an uprising army in Dunhuang, and appointed Zhang Yichao as my special envoy for the uprising army in Dunhuang.

In the second year (9 14), the last emperor of Hou Liang, Zhu Youzhen, welcomed a new ruler-Cao Yijin in Dunhuang. He advocated building a good relationship with his neighbors and vigorously farming and animal husbandry, which restored Dunhuang to prosperity, and the Mogao Grottoes began an era dominated by excavation of large caves.

In the third year of Jingyou in the Northern Song Dynasty (1036), Dunhuang was occupied by Xixia and ruled Dunhuang 19 1 year. After the destruction of Xixia in Yuan Dynasty, sandbars were rebuilt in the 14th year of Yuan Dynasty (1277). 1280, promoted to Shazhou Road General Administration, which belongs to Xingzhongshu Province, Gansu Province.

In the third year of Yongle in the Ming Dynasty (1405), it was changed to Shazhou Wei, and then Han Dongzuo was added. In the seventh year of Jiajing (1528), Jiayuguan was closed due to the attack of the Yerqiang khanate, and Guazhou and Shazhou became the territory of the Yerqiang khanate.

In the first year of Yongzheng in Qing Dynasty (1723), Shazhou Institute was established and upgraded to Shazhou Wei. In the fourth year of Yongzheng (1726), more than 2,400 families emigrated from 56 counties in Gansu to settle in Shazhou. Qianlong thirty-five years (1760), changed to Dunhuang county. 1On September 28th, 949, Dunhuang was controlled by China, and on October 7th, 65438, the People's Government of Dunhuang County was established, belonging to Jiuquan area.

1986 is listed as a national historical and cultural city by the State Council. 1On September 28th, 987, Dunhuang City (county level) withdrew its county to set up a city, and the prefecture level was subordinate to Jiuquan City.

Dunhuang, located on the Silk Road, the traffic artery leading to the western regions, Central Asia and Europe in ancient China, once had prosperous commercial activities. There are two passes of the Great Wall built in Han Dynasty, Yumenguan Pass and Yangguan Pass, which are both military forts and the dividing point between Han and Tang Dynasties and the Western Regions.

Later generations' poems "Spring breeze is not enough to cross Yumenguan Gate", "People have no reason to go out of Yangguan in the west", and the famous guqin song "Three Layers of Yangguan" all refer to this place. Today, these two passes and the site of the Great Wall still exist. There is also a Diaoquan home site nearby, which was the site of a post station during the Han and Jin Dynasties.

Extended data:

I. Overview

Dunhuang City, which belongs to Jiuquan City, Gansu Province, is located at the westernmost end of Hexi Corridor, where Gansu, Qinghai and Xinjiang provinces (regions) meet, with a total area of 3.66438+03'-95 30' east longitude and 39 40'-4140' north latitude.

By the end of 20 16, there were 9 towns in Dunhuang with a total population of 189400. The total output value is 65.438+0.064 billion yuan, of which the added value of primary production is 65.438+0.45 billion yuan, that of secondary production is 2.706 billion yuan, and that of tertiary production is 6.475 billion yuan. The tertiary industry structure is13.71:25.43: 60.86. The per capita GDP reached 73,987 yuan.

Dunhuang is a node city of the Silk Road, famous for its "Dunhuang Grottoes" and "Dunhuang Murals". It is the site of the Mogao Grottoes, a world heritage site, and also the site of Yumenguan and Yangguan on the border of the Great Wall in Han Dynasty. 20 12 was selected as one of the "Top 200 Charming Cities in China" in 20 12, and it is a national historical and cultural city.

Second, population and nationality.

1, population

By the end of 20 16, the total resident population in Dunhuang reached 189400, and the registered population was 143800. The natural population growth rate is 4.0 1‰, which is 2.71‰ higher than 20 15. The annual birth rate was 1469, and the birth rate was 9.98‰, up by 3.08 ‰; There were 879 deaths, with a mortality rate of 5.97‰, up by 0.37‰.

2. Nationality

The population of Dunhuang is mainly Han nationality, and there are 27 ethnic minorities such as Hui, Mongolian, Tibetan, Uygur, Miao, Manchu, Tu, Kazak, Dongxiang and Yugur.

Third, scenic spots

By the end of 20 16, there were 265 cultural relics and 3 world cultural heritages in Dunhuang, namely Mogao Grottoes, Yumenguan Ruins and Xuanquanjia Ruins. There are four national key cultural relics protection units, namely Mogao Grottoes, Yumenguan Site, Xuanquanjia Site and Dunhuang Great Wall. 12 provincial cultural relics protection units; 1 municipal cultural relics protection units; There are 30 county-level cultural relics protection units.

5A Scenic Area 1 (Mingsha Mountain? Crescent Moon Spring), 2 4A-level scenic spots (Yangguan and Ya Dan National Geopark), 8 3A-level scenic spots (Dunhuang Film and Television City, Sanwei Mountain Scenic Spot, Dunhuang Night Market, Dunhuang Tongzhou Island, Dunhuang Leiyin Temple, Dunhuang Photoelectric Expo Park, Danghe Ecological Park, Millennium Dunhuang Crescent Moon Spring Town Folk Culture Tourism Scenic Spot), 1 2A-level scenic spot (Dunhuang Historical Expo Park).

Reference: Baidu Encyclopedia-Dunhuang City