Re-visit DunHuang - the performance

If there is one place in the world that has experienced multiple ups and downs, attracted attentions and discussions from all over the world, that is DunHuang.

Even its name is under debate. The earliest explanation was that "Dun" meant "Gigantic" and "Huang" meant "Glorious". But most modern researchers believe that the name is simply a Han translation of the local minority language. The mystery might have determined its unique fate for DunHuang.

DunHuang is such a beautiful name that carries a mysterious combination. Various stories around DunHuang for the past thousand years were pre-arranged by the universe. We are visiting DunHuang, getting closer to our ancestors tonight.

"Re-visit DunHuang" is another masterpiece by Director Wang, Chaoge. The artist shrank the two-thousand years history into a 60-min performance.

It is unique in the way that the audience watches the show by walking with the stage. The stage was spread out and constantly changing. Accompanied with top-tier light and sound system, audience could experience the history, as if they were living in the stories and having conversations with the historical characters. There was no time boundary between them. All the historical characters related to DunHuang came out to talk to the audience and to perform on the stage about what happened back then.

One can't help but wonder what exactly is "thousand years". If they are simply words, then why can people only look up to them. If it is a period of time, then why is it so far away but is also so close by? These two words look peaceful but are filled with strong waves over the time.

The performance also asked the question of "how long is a thousand years". Answer: "Only a blink of eyes. Winter comes and spring goes. A thousand years passed just like that." If you pick up the sand under you, then you pick up the stories buried in there. "I am the land beneath when you look down, I am the stars above when you look up, I am your blink of eyes, I am your thousand of years."

The performance also asked the question of "how long is a thousand years". Answer: "Only a blink of eyes. Winter comes and spring goes. A thousand years passed just like that." If you pick up the sand under you, then you pick up the stories buried in there. "I am the land beneath when you look down, I am the stars above when you look up, I am your blink of eyes, I am your thousand of years."

Lady Fresco: My face turned dark from the dust, help me recover my beauty!

Her whine is heartbroken.

The decline of the country and the annihilation of the silk road left this treasure of art and culture buried in the desert.

Taoist Wang, who sold relics

If there is one person to blame, that is Taoist Wang. He was responsible for daily affairs in the cave that store the buddhist scriptures. The moment when he opened the gate to the cave, he immediately changed the fate of 50 thousand buddhist scriptures that span over 800 years. He not only changed his own life, but also started a malicious cultural catastrophe.

Taoist Wang asked for forgiveness

Confess from Taoist Wang and all the peasants involved in the sale

Everyone was confessing in the performance. But what were they really thinking back thousand years ago?

One detail in the performance was heartbreaking. Taoist Wang told the peasants to cover their bodies with red paint, hoping that the red will protect them from being punished. Ignorance is not an excuse but the saddest part is the closure of their wisdom.

Peasants start to put on red paint

Disappointed Taoist Wang - what else can we do?

Taoist Wang was criticised by modern academic circle: "Do you know that you committed an unforgivable crime to have sold 40 thousand buddhist scriptures?" Taoist Wang responded:" What can I do now? I am nobody. What's done is done. People can talk about it however they want."

Confession of Taoist Wang

In the end, the Apsaras forgave Taoist Wang in the performance, providing a new angle to look at his behavior - While he was not able to keep the treasures, he did his best to repair and service them.

So is what he did a crime or an achievement? Maybe we will get an answer after debating for another thousand years.

It is a miracle that DunHuang survived all the wars, devastating weather conditions, changes of the ruling without being protected for over 2000 years.

Taoist Wang already became a history and there is nothing we can do to change what has already happened. But let's listen to what DunHuang has to say -

The meaning of re-visit DunHuang is not only to face the history, but also a time to tap into your soul. What Taoist Wang sold are simply tangible Chinese arts. But the most scary thing is to lose the ancestral spirit, which means an end to our culture. From the performance, we should not only sigh, but also be alerted - all the tangible things will be buried and disappear eventually, but the intangible spirit is what we, as descendants should carry on. Strong country and wise populations are truly an extension of the silk road and the treasurable Chinese culture.

Jing Xia