Although the small-scale Dunhuang Museum lacks some attraction and popularity compared with the online celebrity museums such as the Palace Museum with rich collections, it has also become one of the museums that must punch in the Hexi Corridor and the Silk Road relics.
A major feature of Dunhuang Museum in Gansu Province: Han bamboo slips
These Han bamboo slips collected in the Gansu Provincial Museum were unearthed at the Guansai site of the Great Wall in the Han Dynasty. They are also called "Dunhuang Han bamboo slips" because they are the earliest and largest bamboo slips found in Dunhuang County in the Han Dynasty. The content of Dunhuang Han bamboo slips is mainly based on frontier defense. These Han bamboo slips unearthed in recent years, as well as the contract documents reflecting the loan relationship in Dunhuang people's lives at that time, re-displayed the brilliant urban landscape at that time.
A major feature of Dunhuang Museum in Gansu Province: tomb animals.
What we see is a tomb beast unearthed near Dunhuang. Ancient people thought that tomb animals could ward off evil spirits and protect the safety of the dead. Therefore, tomb raiders often use animals such as tigers to shape artifacts. Like the tomb animals in the town, there are also heavenly king figurines as funerary objects, which are rich in color and magnificent, and are also exquisite works in the prosperous Tang Dynasty.
A major feature of Dunhuang Museum in Gansu Province: brick painting
Brick paintings in Wei and Jin Dynasties had the same function as tomb animals, and were also used as funerary objects. Because in the Wei, Jin, Southern and Northern Dynasties, under the influence of talking style and Taoist thought, painting reached a new peak, especially murals, lacquer paintings, stone reliefs and brick reliefs.
Dunhuang Museum has collected many remains of portrait bricks in Wei and Jin Dynasties, including figures, animals, folk customs, etc. The figures also show the features of Xianbei people and Hu people. Birds and animals include ducks, horses, white elephants, white sheep, white tigers and suzaku. There are also myths and legends such as the Queen Mother of the West and Fuxi.
However, I personally prefer those brick paintings that reflect the folk customs of Wei and Jin Dynasties. In a word, these brick paintings in Dunhuang Museum will definitely give you a taste of Wei and Jin dynasties.
A major feature of Dunhuang Museum in Gansu Province: the replica of Cave 45 of Mogao Grottoes.
It can be said that more than 90% of the more than 2,000 colored sculptures in the Mogao Grottoes were remolded in the Qing Dynasty, and their artistic value has been seriously damaged. However, the classic "Library 45" has well preserved the colorful sculptures in the prosperous Tang Dynasty more than 1000 years ago, making it a must for colorful sculptures in China.
Because the Mogao grottoes take a random route, it is very likely that you will not see Cave 45. In order not to leave regrets, the replica grottoes in Dunhuang Museum became the best choice. Although the copied colored sculptures are not as beautiful as the original ones, the craftsmanship is also excellent, showing the colored sculptures in the prosperous Tang Dynasty.
A major feature of Dunhuang Museum in Gansu Province: Stone Pagoda
But when it comes to the most distinctive cultural relic of Dunhuang Museum, it must be the stone pagoda, the treasure of the town hall. After all, both brick paintings and tomb animals in Wei and Jin Dynasties can be seen in many museums in China. The two ancient pagodas of Beiliang in Dunhuang Museum are very rare in China.
These two stone pagodas in the North Beam are modeled after Indian earth pagodas. Many Indian-style Buddha statues can be seen in the stupa, which is also the artistic technique of Beiliang, which often appears in early Buddhist grottoes in China. It can be said that it is a perfect fusion of Chinese and western cultures and looks very exotic.
Generally speaking, these cultural relics mentioned by Ma basically show the greatest features of Dunhuang Museum, and also witness the glory of Dunhuang as an important town of the Silk Road. (Author: non-stop, life lies in walking, the journey needs to be recorded! )