Ancient Hexi Corridor Road

　　This was an old road scattered with historical sites. What we saw were the endless Gobi Desert and layer upon layer of hazy mountain peaks in the distance.

　　The earliest settlers of this area came from the east, filled with a western dream. What they found was an area of vast deserts with high and barren mountains.

　　Ancient beacon towers, broken and dilapidated through years of storms and stress, stood lonely on the Gobi. There were extensions of the Great Wall of the Han Dynasty, like an old man, fatigued and spiritless. However, they tell you the ancient and brilliant history of the Qin and Han dynasties.

　　Zhang Xian, entrusted by the emperor of the Han Dynasty, went to the west as a royal envoy. Zhang Xian dispatched his subordinates to Afghanistan, Iran and India and finally built up the silk road, an artery of exchange between the east and the west of the day.

　　Emperor Hanwu established four prefectures in Wuwei, Zhangye, Qiuquan and Dunhuang and two passes of defence in Yangguan and Yumen in the Hexi Corridor in 111 B.C.

　　Dunhuang was first established as a prefecture, it was a commercial hub on the road from Chang'an, the capital of the Han Dynasty, to the west and the center of the traffic network between the north and the south entering central China.

　　The Han royal princesses such as Xi Jun and Jia You who were married off to Xiongnu kings regarded Dunhuang as home. It was also the gate of The Magao Caves in Dunhuang contain hundreds of Buddhist images cutsintosthe sandstone cliff.

　　protocol to meet the kings from western states, calling on the Han emperor. It was also home to officials who were sent to the west in exile.

　　In 400, border defence official Li Gao established a political power called Xiliang in Dunhuang. He expanded his territory and attached great importance to agriculture and education. Great numbers of scholars and artists came from central China. They showed outstanding achievements in classical studies and arts.Dunhuang lies at the western end of the Gansu Corridor, called Hexi Zoulang. The name Dunhuang originally meant "prospering, flourishing"-- a hint that Dunhuang must once have been an important city. Its position at the intersection of two trade routes was what made Dunhuang flourish. The coming and going of horse and camel caravans carried new thoughts, ideas, arts and sciences to the East and West.

　　It is said that in the fourth century a Buddhist monk had a vision of 1000 Buddhas, and began to carve grottoessintosthe sandstone cliff and fill them with buddhist images. They were abandoned and forgotten in around the 11th century until Stein and other archaeologists arrived to carry away huge quantities of manuscripts, textiles and other art objects. However Magao remains a brilliant trove of statues and wall paintings from the 4th to 10th centuries.

　　Dunhuang is an important post on the Silk Road with a history of more than 2,000 years. Major scenic spots include the Mogao Grottoes. Mingsha Hill, Crescent Moon Spring, Yumen Pass, Yangguan Pass, Great Wall of the Han Dynasty and the ruins of the ancient Shazhou Town.

　　Dunhuang was the first place that came to know Indian Buddhism whose teachings and tenets served as a tranquilizer to the people who were tired of long wars and social disturbances. Buddhism became a prevailing religion in Dunhuang for more than a thousand years.

　　Old days, Camel caravans carried not only Silk but also Buddhism, so there are beautiful Buddhist cave temples along the Silk Road, for exsample: Dunhuang Mogao Caves. Mogao Grottoes was located on cliffs 25 km southeast of Dunhuang. The first cave of the Mogao Grottoes was carved out in the year 366 and so far it has a history of more than 1600 years. Art works of this treasure house cover architectural designs, sculptures and murals. Still preserved are 492 caves with 2,415 colored statues and 45,000 sq.m of murals. It is the greatest and most consummate gallery of Buddhist art in the world. Opening hours: May to October:9:00-17:00 November to April: 9:30-12:30 14:30-17:00

　　Giant Buddha of Leshan

　　The Giant Buddha on the east bank of Minjiang River in Leshan City, Sichuan Province, rests his feetswheresthree rivers-the Minjian, Qingyi and Dadu?ajoin. The Buddha faces Emei Mountain across the river and at its back is the western slope of Lingyun Mountain. Standing at 70.7 meters with shoulders 24 meters wide it is an impressive sight. A water drainage system reduces erosion by rain and slows weathering.

　　The statue was begun in 713, the first year of the reign of Tang Emperor Xuanzhong, and completed in 803, the 19th year of the reign of the Tang Emperor Dezhong. To the right of the statue a plank road with nine turns was built and it is now famous as the nine-turn plank road; it goes form the bottom to the top.