China News Service, Lanzhou, March 17th: What is recorded in the Silk Road slips that have been dusty for thousands of years?
——Exclusive interview with Xiao Congli, director and research librarian of the Collection and Research Department of Gansu Bamboo Slip Museum
China News Service reporter Feng Zhijun
The tens of thousands of Han bamboo slips unearthed at the northwest frontier are rich in content and are an "encyclopedia" recording the Silk Road of the Han Dynasty two thousand years ago.
In Gansu, known as the "Hometown of Han Bamboo Slips", what bamboo slips and cultural relics are "hidden in the boudoir that no one knows about"?
What do these Silk Road slips that have been dusty for thousands of years record?
Xiao Congli, director and research librarian of the Collection and Research Department of the Gansu Bamboo Slip Museum, recently accepted an exclusive interview with China News Service's "East-West Question" and gave his interpretation.
The interview transcript is summarized as follows:
Reporter from China News Service: What records and stories about the ancient Silk Road are contained in the Gansu bamboo slips?
Xiao Congli:
Before paper was invented, bamboo slips were one of the most important writing carriers for ancient Chinese.
Generally speaking, those made of bamboo are called "Jian" and those made of wood are called "牍".
The ancients adapted to local conditions. Bamboo was abundant in the south, so bamboo slips were mostly made of bamboo. In the northwest, pine, poplar, and tamarisk were used.
Dunhuang Xuanquan Han bamboo slips, Dunhuang Maquanwan Han bamboo slips, Juyan Han bamboo slips, Jianshui Jinguan Han bamboo slips, Tianshui Fangmatan Qin bamboo slips, Diwan Han bamboo slips... Since the 20th century, Gansu has unearthed Qin, Han, Jin and Tang bamboo slips. There are more than 60,000 slips from the five periods of Xixia and Xixia.
Among them, Han bamboo slips account for more than half of the Han bamboo slips unearthed across the country.
These brief texts vividly record the garrison work, food, clothing, housing and transportation, homesickness, livestock farming, document delivery, community sacrifices and wax offerings, envoy exchanges, edicts and regulations, etc. in the Hexi frontier fortress of the Han Dynasty two thousand years ago, such as the ecological and environmental protection legal documents of the Han Dynasty, the frontier fortress Personal letters, official station reception records, etc.
These Han bamboo slips are not only the daily writing of thousands of stories on the Silk Road 2,000 years ago, but also first-hand materials on politics, economy, military, science and technology, culture, history, and geography during the Qin and Han Dynasties. They have very important academic value.
The historical details contained in it, such as Princess Jieyou's feelings about her family and country, the life and production of the border guards, and the worries of the common people, not only have historical depth, but also show historical warmth.
On March 10, 2022, the infrastructure project for the protection and utilization of the Xuanquanzhi ruins in Dunhuang City, Gansu Province started construction.
Photo by Wang Binyin
A Han bamboo slip "King Qiuci and his wife at Xuanquan" was unearthed from the Xuanquan site in Dunhuang.
It is recorded that in 65 BC, King Qiuci and his wife received a high-level reception from the Han Dynasty in Xuanquanzhi.
Xuanquanzhi specially prepared corresponding daily necessities for sitting and sleeping for King Qiuci and his wife.
There is an eight-foot bed in the hall with a blue and black curtain.
In addition, the bed for sitting in the Chuanshe Gate is also curtained and is reserved for VIPs.
Mrs. King Qiuci is the eldest daughter of Princess Jieyou and is of Han family descent. The inns along the way provided the best reception for King Qiuci and his wife.
Xiao Congli, director and research librarian of the Collection and Research Department of Gansu Bamboo Slip Museum, told the story of Princess Jieyou from the Western Regions.
Photo by Li Yalong
Princess Jieyou, who was married to Wusun, lived in Wusun for half a century.
"When I am old and miss the land, I would like to return my bones and bury them in the Han Dynasty." In the second year of Emperor Xuan's Ganlu of the Han Dynasty (52 BC), Princess Jieyou wrote to Emperor Xuan of the Han Dynasty requesting to return to Chang'an. This secret letter reached Dunhuang in February of that year. Later it was passed to Wannianyi.
According to the "Book of Han" records, after the emperor saw the letter, he "min greeted it".
Xuanquan Han Slips show that in September of the following year, Princess Jieyou entered Dunhuang from Longle with her trusted followers.
The Han court had previously ordered a high-standard reception, and the entire Dunhuang took this matter very seriously. Xuanquan officials spread valuable blankets on the ground, and a few kilometers away, the receptionists lined up on both sides of the road to wait.
Xiao Congli, director and research librarian of the Collection and Research Department of the Gansu Bamboo Slip Museum, told the historical record of the Queen of Qiuci’s house at Xuanquan in Dunhuang.
Photo by Li Yalong
There are many more brief records such as the above, all of which reflect the importance and warmth of the Han Dynasty to exchanges and exchanges with the Western Regions.
Reporter from China News Service: Through the numerous Silk Road slip records, how can we get a glimpse of the Han Dynasty’s guarantee of the smooth flow of the Silk Road?
Xiao Congli:
In fact, going back more than 2,000 years ago, road traffic on the ancient Silk Road was very dangerous. To ensure the exchange between the East and the West during such a long journey, the court required a lot of investment and guarantees.
It can be seen from the records on Han bamboo slips that the Han Dynasty needed to provide a large amount of grain reserves and related living and travel materials, and carry out corresponding management.
The "Drum Order Book" unearthed in Xuanquan, Dunhuang, mainly records the reception of officials and the exchanges of envoys.
Photo by Li Yalong
The "Drum Order Book" unearthed in Xuanquan, Dunhuang, mainly records the reception of officials and the exchanges of envoys.
Photo by Li Yalong
A "Mileage Slip" unearthed in Xuanquan County, Dunhuang records in detail the mileage between various stations along the way from Wuwei County to Dunhuang County. It complements another "Mileage Slip" unearthed in Juyan area. The two completely recorded the route, mileage and areas passed from the capital Chang'an to Dunhuang, and jointly outlined a complete route map of the eastern section of the Silk Road.
Compared with the fragmentary historical records, these two Han bamboo slips record in detail the official post stations set up by the Silk Road in the Han Dynasty, which is a very strong proof that the Silk Road is not a casual road, but a road provided by the imperial court. Guaranteed economic and cultural exchanges between the East and the West.
The post stations set up along the way are equivalent to the service areas along the highway today. This ensures that the missions from various countries traveling east and west have food, accommodation and travel guarantees.
Many inns such as Xuanquanzhi were set up on the Silk Road. Initially, they were mainly to ensure official exchanges between countries. Therefore, not everyone can stay. They need to bring an official "letter of introduction" to stay.
The "Book of Han: Biography of the Western Regions" records the countries in the Western Regions, and there are also many records on the stays of kings or envoys from many countries in the Western Regions in Han bamboo slips.
Reporter from China News Service: After years of excavation and research, how can the "unpopular secret knowledge" bamboo slips be brought closer to the public?
Xiao Congli:
Like Dunhuang Studies, Bamboo Slip Studies has been an internationally recognized study from the beginning.
Since 1907, Gansu has discovered a large number of bamboo slips with rich contents, and there may be major discoveries in the future.
However, for many years, Gansu's bamboo slips have been in the dilemma of "having a museum but not a home". These precious historical and cultural relics can only sleep in warehouses.
In September 2023, the Gansu Bamboo Slips Museum, which took four years to build, was officially opened to the public. The audience visited the Fangmatan Qin Slips on display.
Photo by Jiumei Danzeng
In September 2023, the Gansu Slip Museum will open, and more than 50,000 pieces (groups) of cultural relics will finally be able to meet the audience.
As the thematic museum with the largest collection of Han bamboo slips in China, we have conducted research on the unearthed situation of more than 30 batches of bamboo slips in Gansu through four basic exhibitions: "The Era of Slips", "Witnesses of the Silk Road", "Frontier Life" and "Slip Calligraphy". System introduction.
Through rich display formats, the exhibition clearly reflects the effective control of the Central Plains Dynasty of the Han Dynasty over the Thirty-Six Kingdoms of the Western Regions, as well as the historical origins of exchanges between the Han Dynasty and the Thirty-Six Kingdoms.
The real stories are shown through the bamboo slips and documents, and the scenes of work, production and life of officials, soldiers and ordinary people are restored, reflecting all aspects of the lives of the people in the frontier fortress at that time.
The origin and achievements of the development of Chinese calligraphy reflected in the bamboo slips will also lead the audience to have an in-depth understanding of the changes and development of the artistic style of bamboo slips and calligraphy in the Qin and Han Dynasties, and reproduce the simple and ink style of the Silk Road.
The wall script "Four Seasons and Monthly Orders" unearthed at Xuanquan in Dunhuang is the most complete legal document on ecological and environmental protection in the Han Dynasty that has been seen in China.
Photo courtesy of Gansu Slip Museum
The Gansu Bamboo Bamboo Slips Museum displays Han bamboo slips about the prohibitions of the four seasons.
Photo by Li Yalong
The Gansu Bamboo Slips Museum has more than a thousand pieces of Chinese national first-class cultural relics, which play an important role in the study of the history and culture of the Qin and Han Dynasties.
In recent years, we have focused on the compilation, publication and research of slips and have achieved fruitful results.
The publication of the collection of bamboo slips and texts such as "Jianshui Jinguan Han Bamboo Bamboo Slips", "Diwan Han Bamboo Bamboo Slips", "Yumen Pass Han Bamboo Bamboo Slips", "Gansu Qin and Han Bamboo Slips" and other collections have provided the latest first-hand information for related research.
Platforms such as the International Academic Symposium on Bamboo Slips gather more experts and scholars to continuously decipher the cultural codes in bamboo slips.
Interviewee profile:
Xiao Congli.
Photo by Li Yalong
Xiao Congli is a research librarian at the Gansu Bamboo Slips Museum, director of the Collation and Research Department, and a member of the Gansu Provincial Cultural Relics Appraisal Committee. His research interests include slip studies and pre-Qin, Qin and Han history.
In recent years, he has been engaged in the compilation and research of Chinese bamboo slips in the collection of the library, and has published monographs such as "Ju Yan's New Collection of Bamboo Slips (V)" (2016).
The person in charge of the sub-project "Xuanquan Han Bamboo Bamboo Slips and Hexi Society in the Han Dynasty" of the major project of the National Social Science Foundation of China "Research on Collation and Collection of Han Bamboo Bamboo Scripts in Xuanquan", and the person in charge of the project "Collation and Research of Han Bamboo Bamboo Scripts in Diwan" (2018) of the National Social Science Foundation of China people.