(East-West Question) Zheng Binglin: Why can the four cultural systems coexist in Dunhuang, China?
China News Agency, Lanzhou, February 16th: Zheng Binglin: Why can the four cultural systems coexist in Dunhuang, China?
China News Agency reporter Ding Si Li Yalong
Ji Xianlin, a master of Chinese studies, said: "There are only four cultural systems in the world with a long history, a vast territory, their own system and far-reaching influence: China, India, Greece, Islam, and there is no fifth, and the place where these four cultural systems converge. There is only one, the Dunhuang and Xinjiang regions of China, and there is no other."
Among the current global instability factors, ethnic conflicts and religious conflicts have become one of the fuses that have triggered many wars.
Why can the four cultural systems coexist in Dunhuang, China, and build a colorful and diverse Dunhuang culture?
What are the manifestations of this culture that has been followed up to now in Dunhuang?
What are the lessons and inspirations for the development of world civilization?
Dunhuang today.
Photo by Zhang Xiaoliang issued by China News Agency
Zheng Binglin, director of the Dunhuang Institute of Lanzhou University, a key research base of humanities and social sciences of the Ministry of Education, distinguished professor of Changjiang Scholar, and honorary president of the Gansu Provincial History Society, recently accepted an exclusive interview with China News Agency "East and West Questions" to "decipher" Dunhuang from a historical perspective.
The following is a summary of the interview transcript:
China News Service reporter: Why did Dunhuang enter the stage of history? What are the historical reasons why it became the meeting place of the four major cultural systems?
Zheng Binglin:
To unravel the code of Dunhuang, we must start from the Han Dynasty.
Last year, I surveyed nearly 30,000 interpretations of Dunhuang Han bamboo slips, and found that the Western Han Dynasty has reached an unprecedented new height in terms of cultural exchanges between China and the West.
Why did Emperor Wu of the Han expedition to the Huns?
At that time, the jurisdiction of the Xiongnu extended to the northeast region in the east, and the Hexi Corridor in the west, and allied with the Western Qiang to control the area of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau.
The Hexi Corridor was the passage from the Central Plains to the Western Regions, and the Xiongnu isolated the Han Dynasty and the international dialogue and exchanges.
If the Han government wants to develop, it must open this blockade.
The "Western Regions" at that time were roughly equivalent to today's Xinjiang and Central Asia.
There are many ethnic groups such as Wusun, Da Yuezhi and Qiang people in this area, which are controlled by the northern Xiongnu.
In order to deepen his understanding of the countries in the Western Regions and relieve the Xiongnu’s threat to the Western Han regime, Zhang Qian went out to the Western Regions to find allies, brought back a lot of knowledge and knowledge about the Western Regions and other places, and opened up the famous “Silk Road”.
At the same time, the young general Huo Qubing sent troops to Hexi twice in 121 BC, attacking the power of the Xiongnu in Hexi. King Kunye of the Xiongnu killed King Xiutu and surrendered to the Han Dynasty, and the Hexi area was included in the territory of the Western Han Dynasty. No Huns.
The Western Han government originally wanted the Wusun people driven by the Huns to move back to Hexi from Central Asia, which is about the country of Kundi.
However, the Wusun people had no intention of returning to the east, and the Western Han government could only adopt immigration to the Hexi area and directly manage it by setting up counties.
After acquiring Hexi, the Han Dynasty established Jiuquan County.
With the development of transportation between China and the West and the increasing importance of Dunhuang, Dunhuang County was added, roughly in the sixth year of Yuanding (111 BC).
Since then, Dunhuang has stepped onto the stage of history, and its foreign exchanges have also kicked off.
The Wei and Jin color painting portrait brick cultural relics in Hexi area "the slaughtering ox portrait brick".
Hexi portrait bricks truly reflect the life and spiritual outlook of the people in the ancient Hexi area.
Photo by China News Agency reporter Tian Yuhao
China News Agency reporter: After the Han Dynasty took over Hexi, how to manage and develop Dunhuang? How to manage the ethnic minorities in Dunhuang?
Zheng Binglin:
The establishment of Dunhuang County enabled the Dunhuang area to complete the transition from military establishment to administrative division.
The Western Han government began to continuously immigrate to the Dunhuang area. The first generation of immigrants was the army guards guarding Dunhuang. After that, there were the powerful surnames who violated the law, the poor who lost their land, as well as prisoners, officers and soldiers guarding the border, and officials who violated the law.
When they migrated to Dunhuang, they also introduced the advanced Han culture from the Central Plains.
The culture of the Dunhuang area in the Han Dynasty developed on this basis.
After Zhang Qian returned from his second mission to the Western Regions, the Han nationality and all ethnic groups in the Western Regions communicated more frequently. Dunhuang became a transportation hub connecting the East and the West on the Silk Road, as well as a post station for business travelers and envoys from various countries.
Dunhuang County has also set up an agency specially to receive foreign envoys, to receive kings, king's envoys, nobles, Hu guests, barbarians, visitors, visitors, etc. They came to the Han Dynasty through the reception system of Dunhuang Xuanquanzhi and other postal institutions. Determine the corresponding standard of accommodation and reception according to their identity.
In order to carry out economic and trade activities, Hu people and Hu merchants from the Western Regions also came to Dunhuang, and the Dunhuang market developed accordingly.
The commodities traded in the Dunhuang market include spices from India, coral from Persia, silverware from Eastern Rome, fur products from the Mongolian Plateau, pigments from the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, wine koji and powder from the Western Regions, and silk and ironware from the Central Plains.
Dunhuang is also specially equipped with translators, including Qiang translation, Hu translation, Qiang Hu translation and so on.
Such practitioners are in great demand, which shows that Dunhuang has a high level of foreign exchanges.
In order to consolidate the defense of Dunhuang County and manage the ethnic minorities in the Dunhuang area, the Han government built a defensive system such as the Fortress, and resettled and appeased the Guiyi ethnic minorities.
A "Qiang Messenger" was set up for the Qiang people to be responsible for handling the affairs of the Qiang people.
With the gradual disintegration of the Xiongnu regime, the government of the Han Dynasty began to operate the Western Regions on a large scale, setting up the Protectorate of the Western Regions, providing food and lodging for envoys and business travelers, and providing security escorts, which smoothed the prosperity of the Silk Road.
Dunhuang has become an indispensable role on the Silk Road, and its functions have changed from the previous military location, administrative management, and material security to a business travel center.
Dunhuang frescoes (replicas) exhibition.
Photo by China News Agency reporter Luo Yunfei
China News Service reporter: What are the manifestations of multicultural integration and symbiotic development in Dunhuang?
Zheng Binglin:
Han culture and foreign culture coexist in the Dunhuang area.
In Dunhuang, Buddhism, Nestorianism, Zoroastrianism, Manichaeism, Bonism and other religions coexist harmoniously, highlighting the inclusive characteristics of Han culture.
After Buddhism entered China, it went through the process of Sinicization.
According to the unearthed Han bamboo slips, there is a place called "Budu Li" in the Dunhuang area. "Budu" is a Buddhist temple, "li" is equivalent to a village, and "Budu Li" is a village established by a Buddhist monastery in Dunhuang. The initial destination of the introduction to China.
In Dunhuang, all ethnic groups can intermarry, and there is no conflict between different religions and ethnic groups. They operate independently and can obtain corresponding status.
This kind of cultural tolerance and openness was highly mature in the Tang Dynasty and was reflected in the Chinese dynasties.
In addition, the developed Chinese culture and education in the Central Plains also affected the countries in the Western Regions.
The Silk Road is an art road. Buddhist art and Zoroastrian art from the Western Regions were introduced into China through the Silk Road, and returned to Dunhuang after Sinicization.
Today, the shadow of the mutual integration and symbiosis of ancient multi-ethnic cultures can still be found in the Mogao Grottoes in Dunhuang.
As a place where cultures meet, Dunhuang integrates the cultures of the Western Regions and the Central Plains.
Dunhuang frescoes (replicas) exhibition.
Photo by China News Agency reporter Gao Zhan
China News Service reporter: What effect does Dunhuang culture have on the Chinese nation's cohesion and self-confidence in Chinese culture? What are the implications for the development of world civilization?
Zheng Binglin:
Knowing Dunhuang and ancient China is actually a process of exploring the confidence of Chinese culture.
The research we are doing now includes the surrounding areas radiating from Dunhuang, because ancient Dunhuang not only includes Dunhuang, but also the Western Regions it operates.
Through Dunhuang documents, Han bamboo slips unearthed in Dunhuang, and documents unearthed in the Western Regions, we can understand ancient Dunhuang and the governance of the Western Regions in ancient China, and restore this history.
The fundamental source of solving the problems facing Xinjiang, Tibet, Mongolian plateau, etc. is the historical solution.
Knowing history, many things can be said clearly.
In the face of foreign doubts, we can use historical facts to reply, which is the embodiment of cultural self-confidence.
The development of culture and civilization is a process of symbiosis, coexistence and communion.
The development of ancient Dunhuang is to learn from and accept different cultures, so that they can find a living space in Dunhuang.
The same is true for the development of Chinese culture. China cannot do without the world, and the world cannot do without China.
In July 2019, "Cultural Exchanges on the Silk Road: Art Treasures of the Tubo Period" was held at the Mogao Grottoes in Dunhuang.
Photo by Wei Jianjun issued by China News Agency
China News Service reporter: Guochao culture is becoming more and more popular, and young people are more and more fond of Dunhuang Guochao. What do you think of this?
Zheng Binglin:
It is a good phenomenon that young people love Dunhuang culture.
Ancient Dunhuang is the gathering place of world culture, its essence is cultural exchange, and the world can be seen through Dunhuang.
In addition to loving Dunhuang, I also encourage young people to have a broader mind and world pattern, see the world, travel the world and embrace the world through Dunhuang.
When studying Dunhuang, we must also look at Dunhuang from a global perspective, look for Dunhuang in the world, and look for the world in Dunhuang.
Only research with a narrow national perspective and no inclusiveness is short-lived, and only research with an inclusive and global perspective can live forever.
The four major cultural systems can coexist and coexist in Dunhuang, and China can prosper and develop for a long time. The most fundamental reason is the inclusiveness of Chinese culture.
(Finish)
On January 5, 2022, citizens visited the "Silk Road Art of Dunhuang Grottoes and Hexi Corridor" exhibition at Shenzhen Museum.
Photo by Bao Gansheng issued by China News Agency
Interviewee Profile:
Zheng Binglin is from Huangling County, Shaanxi Province.
He is currently the director of the Dunhuang Institute of Lanzhou University, a key research base of humanities and social sciences of the Ministry of Education, a first-level professor and doctoral tutor of Cuiying Scholar of Lanzhou University.
Member of the Chinese Expert Committee of the National Textbook Committee, Distinguished Professor of Changjiang Scholars, and Honorary President of Gansu History Society.
He has published more than 230 papers and more than 20 books in such journals as Historical Research, World Religion Research, Chinese History Research, Literary History, Chinese Literary History Collection.
He has presided over and completed more than 20 national cultural support projects of the Ministry of Science and Technology, major and key projects of the National Social Science Fund, major research fund projects of the Ministry of Education and international exchange fund projects.
He has won 5 first, second and third prizes of provincial social science awards and 4 book awards.
Editor-in-chief of "Special Research on the History of the Guiyi Army in Dunhuang", "Dunhuang Studies Doctoral Library", "Dunhuang Studies Research Library", "Northwest History and Culture Research Library", "Dunhuang Past Series", "Silk Road Grottoes Buddhist Art Library", "Contemporary Dunhuang Scholars Selected Collection" " More than ten series of books such as Essence of French Sinology Series, Dunhuang Lectures, Dunhuang Tubo Literature Series, etc.