The Mogao Grottos: Treasure of the búdico art

In the immensity of the Gobi, a small oasis fed by defrostings of the Qilian mountain range is lost, is Dunhuang, full city of vitality and dynamism.

The south-east, the foot of the Mingsha mountain, one sees a length and winding viaduct that connects hundreds of grottos. It and Buddhist statues admire themselves in fresh. Majestic images of Buddha, steering wheels apsaras – form a really imposing, worthy atmosphere of veneration.

Here is the greater treasure of the búdico art of the world: the Mogao Grottos.

They date from year 366. According to it is registered, famous bonzo Yuezun call arrived a day at the Mingsha mountain, in his peregrination towards the West. Suddenly, they appeared before his seen millares of images of Buddha, that shone excessively, which illustrated envelope to him which had to do. It excavated then a grotto, first in the place. The construction of these continued throughout the 1500 years that cover the ten later dynasties: from the Sixteen Kingdoms to the Yuan. In spite of the invasion of sands, 750 with 3 000 statues guinea fowl and 45 000 meters squared of fresh are still conserved, five entrances with eaves of wood structure, concluídas under the Tang and Song, and the Cave of the Búdicos Canons. It contains this one near 50 000 manuscripts and artistic works, that include 1 000 paintings of soothes, engravings, embroiderings handwritings, etc.

These grottos, considered a miracle, why they have appeared in the middle of so vast desert?

In century II a.n.e emperor Wu Di of the dynasty Has commanded to Zhang Qian in mission to the Western Regions. “ was open thus Route of Seda " that lead to central and western Asia. By her, they took place, through the centuries, cultural interchanges and friendly visits between China and the West.

Dunhuang, one of the inevitable steps, was long ago a metropolis of trajín much, with numerous commerce, temples and monasteries. Imtroducido to China the buddhism, that was disclosed by means of the use of artistic images, megred with the traditional culture. They were for that reason great amount of relics throughout the route, between which they emphasize the grottos of Dunhuang which they have like nucleus the Mogao. They are these those of longer existence and richer content.

The statues guinea fowl represent, in their majority, images of búdicos personages and their exercises actually of the perfection. They are done of clay. They are very few realized antse of the Tang dynasty and are, logically, most valuable.

The murals of rich and are varied content: personifications of Buddha, illustrations inspired by religious stories, the evolution of the buddhism, legend, mythologies, traditions and pictures of donors. They vividly reflect the life and the social activities of the diverse ethnic groups and social layers: trips of sovereigns, farming, scenes of hunting and fish; nuptial and funeral ceremonies, foreign commercial and messenger contacts; songs and dances.

Library is described to them like one “ mural " that allows to the students a clarification of the cultural and economic contacts between north-western China and the diverse countries of central and southern Asia.

Arts of different times are appraised there. The one of the Tang dynasty revive the period most shining of the buddhism in the country, in which the foreign art megred admirably with the Chinese. Between the inherited relics of the Tang, the greatest statue of Buddha reaches to several tens of meters of height; the minor has only about 10 centimeters. The illustrations are of great dimensions: the pictures have sum expresividad. Apsaras bodhisattvas with much grace is beautiful execute music, they fly or they dance and they exhalan his fragrance. : ace of the Tang dynasty, that they are not looked like Los Angeles created by God for his ministry, nor to you foretell of old India that moves on clouds, are, under the brush of the Chinese artists, beauties that fly slight, with its tapes of soothes.

In the antiquity, the Mogao Grottos were surrounded by mystery; the people deposited in them their noble spirit. The pilgrims did not move backwards to concur there until the Yuan dynasty. From the dynasties Ming and Qing, gurtas was thrown in forgetfulness. But, in 1900, the taoísta Wang Yuanlu, that kept the Mogao grottos, discovered, when the cavern of the Búdicos Canons realized the cleaning. The news of so important archaeological finding of century XX, propagated quickly, so that “ explorers " who acted in central Asia converted on Dunhuang and they took millares of statues, murals, documents, to Tokyo, to London, to Paris, to Moscow…

The attractive wonders and of Dunhuang and the Route of Seda became a new scientific discipline: the Dunhuanglogía.

In years 40, China established organizations specialized in the investigation and protection of the Mogao Grottos; in the 60, it was obtained his recovery and fortification. From the decade of the 80, they are under scientific protection.

The enthusiasm by the Dunhuanglogía is, in the world of these last years, increasing.

The Mogao Grottos maintain an everlasting seduction.