1, Dunhuang murals began in the Sixteen Kingdoms and the Northern Wei Dynasty, and the Western Wei Dynasty further developed and the Northern Zhou Dynasty gradually matured. The peak period is the Tang Dynasty, with rich themes, vivid images, pure land in disguise, painting changes and story painting, all of which reflect many social realities. Due to historical reasons, Dunhuang art declined in the Song Dynasty.

2. Dunhuang murals refer to the paintings on the inner walls of Dunhuang Grottoes in China, which belong to the world cultural heritage.

3. The total area of Dunhuang murals is more than 50,000 square meters, including 522 murals of Dunhuang Mogao Grottoes, Xiqian Buddha Cave and Anxi Yulin Grottoes, which are large in scale, exquisite in skill, rich in content and wide in subject matter.

4. Dunhuang frescoes depict images, activities, the relationship between god and people, and place good wishes and peaceful hearts.

5. Dunhuang murals have aesthetic characteristics and artistic styles different from secular paintings, which originate from life and appreciate life; Originated from art, comprehensive art; From the world, share the world.

6. Modeling features: the image of God (Buddha, Bodhisattva, etc.). ) and the vulgar images in Dunhuang murals (both from real life), but they are different in nature. From the modeling point of view, the image of laity is full of life and the characteristics of the times are more distinct; The image of the gods changes less, and there are more elements of imagination and exaggeration. In terms of clothing, laymen mostly wear Chinese clothes in the Central Plains, while immortals wear them abroad. The method of daubing is also different. Mediocre people often use the Central Plains daubing method, while immortals often use the Western concave-convex method. These are constantly changing with the times.

7. A problem closely related to modeling is deformation. Dunhuang murals inherit the deformation techniques of traditional painting and skillfully shape various figures, animals and plants. Different times, different aesthetics, different degrees and ways of deformation. In the early stage, the deformation degree is large, there are many romantic elements, and the image characteristics are distinct and prominent; After Sui and Tang Dynasties, there was less deformation, stronger three-dimensional sense and stronger realism.

8. There are generally two methods of deformation: one is exaggerated deformation, and the other is to make regular changes with the original shape of the characters, that is, to lengthen them into disasters. For example, the bodhisattva in the late Northern Wei Dynasty or the Western Wei Dynasty greatly increased the length of clothes, fingers and neck, exposed the bones on the edge, used the distance to eat grass, and the corners of her mouth were upturned, shaped like petals; After transformation, it has become a romantic and unique "showing bones and treating elephants". King Kong Lux tends to exaggerate horizontally, with thick limbs, short neck, round head, big belly and protruding eyes, emphasizing physical strength and superhuman strength. These two characters are the result of exaggeration.

9. Mural theme: In the grottoes in the late Northern Wei Dynasty, there were mythical themes with Taoist thoughts. At the top of Cave 249 in the Western Wei Dynasty, in addition to the lotus algae well painted in the middle, alchemists with flags on the east and west sides opened the way, followed by enlightened beasts with faucets. Suzaku, Xuanwu, Qinglong and Baihu are distributed on all walls. Fei Lian fluttered his wings, and Lei Gong swung his arms and rolled the drum. The lightning flashed with an iron drill, and the rain teacher sprayed it, and it rained.