Dunhuang has a long and ancient history. Dunhuang was once a hub of transportation between China and the West, a key gateway on the Silk Road, an international metropolis for foreign exchanges, and a military stronghold in the Western Regions. It has written a glorious chapter in the long history of China.
Dunhuang was formerly known as' Sanwei '. To this day, there are three towering and unique mountain peaks in the southeast of Dunhuang City, which are known as the ancient Three Dangs. It is still called Sanwei Mountain today.
About 4000 years ago, during the ancient period equivalent to the Shunyu era, human ancestors had already thrived and thrived in the Dunhuang region.
According to archaeological discoveries, during the Xia, Shang, and Zhou dynasties in China, there were Qiang, Rong, and other ethnic groups living here, belonging to the Yumen Huoshaogou culture type.
During the Spring and Autumn Period, Dunhuang was called Guazhou, named after the beautiful melons it produced. At that time, there were Rou and Wusun nomadic tribes stationed here for grazing. In the Warring States period, the Rou clan gradually became stronger, driving away the Wusun and becoming the new master of Dunhuang.
During the Qin and Han dynasties, the Xiongnu, who ruled the northern desert, rose up and merged with the Yue clan, and Dunhuang was occupied by the Xiongnu. During the reign of Emperor Wu of the Western Han Dynasty, after a war to counterattack the Xiongnu, they were forced to follow far away, and the Hexi region was incorporated into the territory of the Han Dynasty. From then on, the great undertaking of managing Hexi and Western Regions by the Central Plains Dynasty began, opening the chapter of Dunhuang's development in history.
After Zhang Qian's journey to the Western Regions, the Silk Road was opened. In the sixth year of Emperor Wu of the Western Han Dynasty's Yuanding reign (111 BC), Dunhuang Commandery was established. At the end of the Western Han Dynasty, Wang Mang usurped Han and renamed Dunhuang Commandery as Dunde Commandery. In the Eastern Han Dynasty, it was renamed Dunhuang Commandery. During this period, Dunhuang's economy developed rapidly and its strategic position was elevated. The Deputy Colonel in charge of Western Regions affairs stationed in Dunhuang became the military and political center that governed the Western Regions.
During the Three Kingdoms period, Dunhuang Commandery was still established and under the jurisdiction of the Cao Wei regime. The Western Jin Dynasty inherited it unchanged. During the Eastern Jin Dynasty, the Jin dynasty moved southward and Dunhuang broke away from the jurisdiction of the Central Plains, entering the historical period of the Sixteen Kingdoms. During the Former Liang Dynasty, Dunhuang, Jinchang, and Gaochang commanderies, as well as the Western Regions Protectorate, Wuji Colonel, and Yumen Grand Protectorate, were merged to form Shazhou.
In the year 400 AD (the fourth year of the Long'an reign of the Eastern Jin Dynasty), Li Hao called himself "Duke Liang" in Dunhuang County and established the Western Liang Kingdom, with the era name "Jianchu". He initially established the capital in Dunhuang and moved it to Jiuquan in 405 AD.
In the early Northern Wei Dynasty (439 AD), Dunhuang Town was established, and in the late Yanchang period (512-515 AD), Guazhou was established, with Dunhuang as its capital. During the Han and Wei dynasties, there were many wars in the Central Plains, and a large number of people migrated westward to Hexi and Longyou. Dunhuang was relatively stable, and its economy and commerce gradually prospered, becoming the cultural center of Wuliang for a time. The construction history of Mogao Caves also began during this period. In 366 AD (the fourth year of Taiqing in the Liang Dynasty and the second year of Jianyuan in the Qin Dynasty), the monk Lezun traveled westward to Dunhuang and began the construction of Mogao Caves.
At the beginning of the Sui Dynasty, the county was abolished and Guazhou was established. In the third year of Daye (607 AD), Dunhuang County was reestablished, and at the same time, Mingsha County was abolished and renamed Dunhuang County.
In the fifth year of Tang Wude (622 AD), it was renamed as Xishazhou, and in the seventh year of Zhenguan (633 AD), it was further renamed as Shazhou. At this time, Dunhuang entered a period of historical prosperity. Around the second year of Tang Jianzhong (781 AD), it fell into Tibet. In the second year of Dazhong (848 AD), Zhang Yichao, a native of Shazhou, led a rebellion and overthrew the rule of Tubo nobles, establishing the Guiyi Army regime and bringing the Hexi region back to the Tang Dynasty. This period lasted until the Western Xia occupation in the third year of Jingyou of the Song Dynasty (1036 AD), and is known as the Guiyi Army period in Dunhuang history.
After the Yuan Dynasty conquered Western Xia, Shazhou was re established in the 14th year of the Zhiyuan era (1277). In 1280, it was promoted to the General Administration of Shazhou Road and was under the jurisdiction of Gansu Xingzhongshu Province.
In the third year of the Yongle reign of the Ming Dynasty (1405), it was renamed as the Shazhou Guard, and later the Handong Left Guard was added. In the seventh year of the Jiajing reign (1528), the Ming government closed Jiayuguan, and from then on, Guazhou and Shazhou were not established for 200 years, and Dunhuang gradually declined.
In the first year of the Yongzheng reign of the Qing Dynasty (1723), the Shazhou Office was established and promoted to Shazhou Guard. In the fourth year of the Yongzheng reign (1726), more than 2400 households migrated from 56 prefectures and counties in Gansu to settle in Shazhou. In the 25th year of the Qianlong reign (1760), it was renamed Dunhuang County and remained so until the liberation of Dunhuang on September 28, 1949.
The Dunhuang County People's Government was established on October 7, 1949, under the jurisdiction of the Jiuquan area. Dunhuang City was established on September 28, 1987. Dunhuang City is under the jurisdiction of Jiuquan City and currently has 9 towns with a total population of 200000. Among them, the Han ethnic group accounts for the vast majority, while 27 ethnic minorities including Hui, Mongolian, Tibetan, Uyghur, Miao, Manchu, Tu, Kazakh, Dongxiang, and Yugu only account for 2.2% of the total population.