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There are numerous grottoes in China and the Dunhuang
Mogao Grottoes, the Yungang Grottoes, the Longmen Grottoes, the
Kezir Grottoes and the ancient Qiuci Grottoes are the most famous
ones. With its large scale, the Dunhuang Mogao Grottoes is surely
a shining pearl on the Silk Road.
The Dunhuang Mogao Grottoes was first built in the Sixteen Kingdoms
Period (the mid 4th century) and lasted a very long time, with overhauling
in the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911). Researchers have found over 2,400
painted sculptures and 45,000 square meters of frescoes. All of
them converged the cream of the East and the West. It is no doubt
an artistic treasure at the world level. The dancers' images are
varied, ranging from the Northern Wei Dynasty (386-534) to the Yuan
Dynasty (1271-1368). From them we can have a glimpse of the dances
of various historical periods. It is a rare treasure of historical
records.
The dancing images in grottoes originated from the earthly world;
it got distilled in the Buddhist pure land and then returned to
this world. A layer of myth and imagination was added in this process,
thus the dancing image was able to better express the Chinese nation's
aspiration after the beauty of dance.
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