Li Xiangping, editor-in-chief of the CICC, explains plans to make The Great Dunhuang

　　The Great Dunhuang comes to the small screen

　　By Caren Zuo

　　To those who have heard of it, Dunhuang, Gansu Province, is a magical place: The vast expanse of desert, the vivid Buddhist images in the Mogao caves, the once flourishing Silk Road trade, the vigorous and bold people...

　　Few people, however, know the stories behind the land. A new television series is about to change that. "The 40-episode television series The Great Dunhuang will reveal the glorious history of Dunhuang, which spans more than a thousand years," says Li Xiangping, editor-in-chief of the China Intercontinental Communications Corporation (CICC). The CICC specializes in producing multi-language audio-video products and regular publications, introducing to the world the basic conditions and changing face of China, covering history, culture, customs, and reform.

　　The filming of the series is set to begin April 1 and conclude in September. All told, the production features an investment of 35 million yuan. It is a joint production of the New Century Film & TV Culture Development Company of the CICC, the China Guoan Culture & Media Investment Corporation, and the China Central Television (CCTV) Film and TV Department.

　　"For a long time, the history of Dunhuang has been the business of scholars and artists. We are trying to popularize it in this epic-style production," Li says. Director Chen Jialin points to Dunhuang's historical significance as the motivation for the series. "One thousand years ago, Dunhuang was a prosperous international city," he says. "The comings and goings of horse and camel caravans exchanged different thoughts, ideas, arts and sciences between the East and West."

　　"In order to attract the largest audience, I tried to capture the most dramatic portions of the Dunhuang legend, filled with personal love and hate stories, the locals' persistent struggles to protect the Buddhist scriptures hidden in the grottos, the intellectuals' brave dedication to the arts," scriptwriter Zhang Rui told that's China. Zhang started to weave his ideas for the production three years ago. He three-decade-long experience living in the northwestern territories formed a unique understanding of Dunhuang culture.

　　"In 1993, I lived three months at a poorly-kept inn near the Dunhuang Mogao Grottos. I explored nearly every corner of the grottos, using an oil lamp for light. When I was inside, I forgot myself, forgot time and everything around me, and the thoughts of the ancient people were very close," says Zhang.

　　Chen Jialin, 62, is well known for his work in directing magnificent epics. He says he is prepared to "throw off his old bones" (a saying indicating that one is willing to dedicate all of his last energies to a purpose) to Dunhuang, his beloved land.

　　"We have done too little to let Chinese better understand this land," he says. "I hope people learn more from this production." This will be no easy task, however. "It is a big challenge to balance the pursuit of historical truth with entertaining the masses when shooting a TV series covering over one thousand years," Chen says.

　　Chen's association with the production has audiences expecting great things. Sun Aiying, a fifty-three-year-old housewife and TV drama aficionado, says, "I have watched The Dynasty of Emperor Kangxi (a historical drama directed by Chen Jialin) three times. Who says people like me have little interest in history? We need more productions like this."

　　Li Weihai, a middle-aged man who spends little time watching television, expresses his interest in such a production: "Dunhuang is one of the attractive places that I would love to go and see. If I have the time, I will have to watch. Too many historical dramas concern the emperors and the court of the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911)."