Dunhuang Mogao Grottoes Murals, located between Mingsha Mountain and Sanwei Mountain, 25 kilometers southeast of Dunhuang City, Gansu Province, China, are an important part of the art of Dunhuang Grottoes. They were created by Le Zun Monk in the second year of Jianyuan in the former Qin Dynasty (366 A.D.), and have been painted for more than 1600 years to form the current scale.
Dunhuang Mogao Grottoes Murals depict the scenes of production and labor, social life, architectural modeling, music and dance of ancient nationalities and classes.
The murals in the Mogao Grottoes of Dunhuang are rare cultural treasures of more than ten dynasties from the Sixteen Kingdoms to the Ming and Qing Dynasties and cultural exchanges between the East and the West; With its grand scale, rich content, and long history, it ranks first among all grottoes in China and is also the largest and best preserved treasure trove of grotto art in the world.
More About Dunhuang Mogao Grottoes Murals
The cliff texture of Dunhuang Grottoes belongs to the Jiuquan series gravel rock layer, which is formed by the sedimentation and bonding of accumulated sand and pebbles. Pebbles are hard, gold and stone are difficult to carve, sand layers are loose, and they fall easily upon slight impact, making them unsuitable for carving. After digging caves, ancient people applied plaster and white powder to the top and walls to make them smooth before painting on them. Due to the lower labor cost and ease of depicting details compared to stone carvings, wall paintings can accurately depict the content of Buddhist scriptures and the social landscape of the times, making them more extensive, rich, and detailed than stone carvings. This is the biggest feature and unique advantage that sets Dunhuang Grottoes apart from other grottoes. Mural paintings are various colored images painted on the top, sides, walls, Buddha seats, and central tower columns of the cave, as well as on the upper and outer sides of the cave door. They complement and enhance the statue, and decorate and beautify the cave. Some of these murals are well preserved with colors as new as ever; Some have changed color or been damaged, no longer in their old ways, but their brushwork and meaning can still be seen from them. Some even unexpectedly reveal the layers of drafting, editing, outlining, and blending, providing a reference for artists to learn and research.
Painters have transformed dull Buddhist teachings into intriguing and perceptible images, which undoubtedly embody religious motivations and expected effects. But when painters create paintings according to Buddhist requirements, they inevitably rely on real things to reflect them, consciously or unconsciously injecting their own thoughts and emotions, carrying the influence of the times, leaving vivid images of human life, reflecting the projection of the real world. For example, in order to depict the image of bodhisattvas helping all sentient beings and rescuing suffering and difficulties, painters must not depict bodhisattvas as ferocious gods and evil spirits. Instead, they need to depict bodhisattvas with kind faces and eyes, as well as a harmonious and benevolent image, to make people feel approachable and respectable, and to provide shelter and trust. This kind of image is certainly required by Buddhist scriptures, but it cannot be denied that it is the painter's imagination of a savior.