"Forget it, we're not the police. Can we really do it a second time after we've done it once?"
Zhuang Rui shook his head. He was also a little puzzled. If what Deputy Director Xiong said was true, Nakagawa should have been fined. He wondered why this Japanese man still had the leisure to travel around.
However, Zhuang Rui was too lazy to waste his energy on a Japanese man. After taking a long look at the ground beneath his feet, he pondered to himself: If he were to build a vacuum chamber at the excavation site according to his previous idea, how much would it cost?
To excavate this underground palace intact, perhaps only Zhuang Rui in the entire world could do it, because only he could accurately grasp the exact location of the underground palace and selectively decide when is the best time to open it up.
This is an extremely complicated task, because working in a vacuum environment requires wearing a spacesuit, which increases the difficulty of the excavation work. Furthermore, the preservation treatment of cultural relics after entering the underground palace must also be carried out in this environment, which requires a lot of theoretical demonstration and repeated research in the early stages.
Zhuang Rui had made up his mind that once he returned to Beijing, he would fund the research himself and make it a research project. As long as he made research results, he would apply to the state for approval. He really wanted to see the truth of the underground palace of Qin Shi Huang's mausoleum before he died.
"Let's go, let's try to stay in Lanzhou tonight..."
Zhuang Rui buried his ambition to excavate the First Emperor's Mausoleum deep in his heart. Perhaps the next time he went to Xi'an, it would be the time when the underground palace of the First Emperor's Mausoleum, which had been silent for more than 2,200 years, was unveiled. Zhuang Rui was confident that he could show this treasure of Chinese culture to the world.
Zhuang Rui and his group's next destination was Gansu. They set off from Xi'an in the afternoon, passed through Baoji and Tianshui, and arrived in Lanzhou after dark. They stayed in a hotel for the night and the next day visited the White Pagoda Mountain, the Yellow River Iron Bridge, Wuquan Mountain, the Huang Temple, and Baiyun Temple in Lanzhou.
Of course, they also made sure to sample the famous Lanzhou ramen and the soft, smooth, sour and spicy Lanzhou liangpi (cold skin noodles), which Zhuang Rui and his companions thoroughly enjoyed. As a vital passage on the ancient Silk Road, Lanzhou left a deep impression on Zhuang Rui and his group.
After a brief two-day stay in Lanzhou, Zhuang Rui and his group resumed their journey, traveling along the highway from Lanzhou through Wuwei, Zhangye, and Jiuquan before arriving at Jiayuguan, a place renowned for its strategic location and majestic grandeur.
Jiayuguan Pass is the westernmost starting point of the Great Wall of the Ming Dynasty. It is the most magnificent and best-preserved ancient military fortress along the Great Wall during the Ming Dynasty and its later dynasties.
The entire fortress is nestled against the mountains and beside the river, guarding a canyon area about 15 kilometers wide from north to south. The Taolai River Valley in the south of the canyon forms a natural barrier for the fortress. Nearby, beacon towers and watchtowers are crisscrossed, with a total of 66 watchtowers along the east, west, south, north, and northeast routes of the fortress. Jiayuguan's terrain is naturally formed, combining offense and defense. Together with the nearby Great Wall, city walls, moats, beacon towers, and other facilities, it forms a tight military defense system and is known as the "First Pass Under Heaven". During the Qing Dynasty, Lin Zexu was punished for his anti-opium campaign and was exiled to Xinjiang. When he passed through Jiayuguan, he saw how magnificent the pass was and wrote a poem praising it: "A hundred feet high, the fortress marks the western sky, and the hooves of travelers from ten thousand miles away halt."
His poem made it famous throughout the world, echoing the "First Pass Under Heaven"—Shanhaiguan, which is thousands of miles away.
Zhuang Rui and his group toured the Guerrilla General's Mansion, the official well, the Guandi Temple, the stage, and the Wenchang Pavilion within the fortress before heading west out of Yumen. After traveling for more than two hours through Guazhou, they finally arrived at Dunhuang, the third destination of Zhuang Rui's trip.
Dunhuang is located at the westernmost end of the Hexi Corridor in Gansu Province, at the intersection of Gansu, Qinghai, and Xinjiang provinces (regions). It is surrounded by Gobi Desert. Although Dunhuang has 1,400 square kilometers of oasis, accounting for only 4.5% of the total area of Dunhuang, it is still known as the "oasis in the Gobi". Driving through this historical and cultural city, ancient roads, the Great Wall, beacon towers and post stations are scattered throughout the area. Due to the special location of Dunhuang's desert oasis, it became a vital town on the ancient Silk Road. Since Emperor Wu of Han established the prefecture, it has not only been an outpost for expanding territory and managing the Western Regions, but also a metropolis where Chinese and foreign peoples crossed over in ancient times.
The flourishing of the Silk Road during the Han and Tang dynasties made Dunhuang one of the first regions in Chinese history to open up to the West. Envoys, merchants, scholars, monks, artists and other diverse groups from all over the world connected ancient Chinese, Indian, Egyptian and Greek cultures.
Along the long Silk Road, Dunhuang has been spreading civilization and friendship with unwavering perseverance, pursuing understanding and peace. Eastern and Western civilizations have blended and converged here, and Eastern and Western cultures have spread from west to east, enabling Dunhuang to form its enlightened, open, and inclusive historical tradition over a long period of time.
One or two thousand years ago, this place was perhaps like Beijing and Shanghai today, a center for the exchange of ancient Chinese and Western cultures and commerce. Although Dunhuang has lost its former glory, walking through Dunhuang, the profound history still seems to be silently telling the story of its past splendor.
Although Dunhuang is only a county-level city under Jiuquan City, its past glory and profound cultural heritage have made it far more famous than Jiuquan City. In particular, the existence of famous historical sites such as Mogao Grottoes, Yulin Grottoes, and Western Thousand Buddha Caves, as well as the world-renowned "Dunhuang Grottoes" and "Dunhuang Murals", have made it the first choice for tourists from all over the world.
"Brother Zhuang, how many days are we going to stay here? The air here is really dry. I wonder if the hotel has water usage restrictions for showers?"
Peng Fei parked his car in the parking lot of a hotel he had booked in advance. Although he had been following Zhuang Rui for several years, Peng Fei still had no interest in antiques and jade. As for talking to Peng Fei about history and culture, it was like talking to a brick wall. This guy had absolutely no artistic talent from head to toe.
In Peng Fei's view, spending his free time wandering around this godforsaken place was not as exciting and enjoyable as the real-life experience of fighting drug dealers in Myanmar.
"You little brat, I never planned for you to come along. Next time, let Brother Hao come instead..."
Zhuang Rui got out of the car. Although the windows had been closed the whole way, he still felt dust all over his face. However, Zhuang Rui's thoughts were different from Peng Fei's. It was precisely because of Dunhuang's dry climate, low rainfall, and high evaporation that most of the cultural relics unearthed here were well preserved.
"Don't be like that, Brother Zhuang, I promise I won't talk nonsense anymore..."
Peng Fei quickly jumped out of the car. He was a man whose nature was hard to change. Like Zhuang Rui, he had an adventurous spirit. When he was on a mission in the army, he longed for the life of a wife and children in a warm bed. But once he settled down, he would feel bored and his restless nature would start to stir again.
Even knowing that Zhuang Rui's work this time would be rather tedious, Peng Fei still offered Hao Long a lot of benefits, which is why Hao Long was allowed to follow Zhuang Rui. Of course, Zhuang Rui's safety was also a factor.
It was only afternoon, and Zhuang Rui had intended to visit the Mogao Caves first. However, seeing that everyone looked tired, he could only say, "Alright, everyone, let's rest today. We'll go to the Mogao Caves tomorrow, and we'll be busy for the next few days..."
Archaeological work in Gansu, especially around Dunhuang, is far more difficult than in Henan and Shaanxi. The area is full of Gobi deserts, and once you leave Dunhuang, you often won't see a single person for days. Not to mention the harsh geographical environment, the sheer monotony is something most people would find hard to endure.
However, it is precisely this unique geographical environment that results in the exceptional quality and condition of all artifacts unearthed in Gansu. National treasures like the "Flying Horse of Gansu" and the rare horse-shaped relief unearthed in 2008—the only known horse-shaped artifact from the Western Xia dynasty—both astonished the entire archaeological community upon their discovery. ...
After a day of rest, Zhuang Rui and his group drove to the Mogao Grottoes, a scenic spot not far from Dunhuang City. Dunhuang was an important town on the ancient Silk Road, and the art treasures housed in the Mogao Grottoes are a gem of Sino-foreign exchanges.
Since its discovery in the 20th century, the Mogao Caves have been known as the "Louvre of the East" for their exquisite murals and sculptures. Construction of the Mogao Caves began during the Former Qin period of the Sixteen Kingdoms and continued through the Sixteen Kingdoms, Northern Dynasties, Sui, Tang, Five Dynasties, Western Xia, and Yuan dynasties, eventually forming a massive complex. Currently, there are 735 caves, 45,000 square meters of murals, and 2,415 clay sculptures.
The Mogao Caves are also the world's largest and most richly endowed Buddhist art site. The Library Cave, discovered in modern times, contains more than 50,000 ancient artifacts and was listed as a World Heritage Site in 1987.
The Mogao Grottoes are only a half-hour drive from Dunhuang City. When they arrived at the parking lot outside the Mogao Grottoes, Peng Fei suddenly nudged Zhuang Rui, pointed outside the car, and said, "Hmm? Brother Zhuang, look at that person, isn't that the little Japanese guy?"
"It's that guy named Nakagawa. Why is that kid so persistent?"
Zhuang Rui looked in the direction Peng Fei was pointing and was immediately stunned. It really was Nakagawa, the Japanese man who had clashed with them in Lintong.
Chapter 1070 Mogao Caves
"Brother Zhuang, should I go teach him a lesson?"
Peng Fei was feeling that the trip was rather uneventful, but after seeing Nakagawa, he couldn't help but feel a little itchy. In particular, seeing that there was a bowing and scraping translator next to Nakagawa made Peng Fei extremely unhappy. He couldn't stand these foreigners who took money and came to China to act like big shots.
"Forget it, kid, don't cause trouble. Play all day today, you have to start work tomorrow..."
Zhuang Rui waved his hand to stop Peng Fei. It's other people's freedom to admire Chinese culture and travel wherever they want. But Zhongchuan really seems to have a connection with him. He's already met him three times in a row, from Xi'an to Dunhuang.
"That guy doesn't look like a good person. He might be smuggling cultural relics from China..."
Peng Fei muttered something under his breath, parked the car, and got out.
Although Dunhuang is located in a remote area, as a world-famous tourist destination, the Mogao Grottoes were crowded with people. Everywhere there were tour groups holding small flags and wearing sun hats. If Peng Fei hadn't been sharp-eyed, he really wouldn't have been able to see Zhongchuan. However, in the short time it took to get off the bus, Zhongchuan disappeared into the crowd.
China has four major grottoes featuring Buddhist culture: Dunhuang Mogao Grottoes, Datong Yungang Grottoes, Luoyang Longmen Grottoes, and Tianshui Maijishan Grottoes. Among them, Longmen Grottoes and Mogao Grottoes are the most famous, while Mogao Grottoes is the largest and best-preserved of the four.
The Mogao Caves in Dunhuang were first built in 366 AD. Over the course of 1,500 years until the Qing Dynasty, more than 480 caves were built on the walls of the Mingsha Mountain, which stretches for three kilometers. The caves are arranged in five layers, with varying heights and a dense, orderly arrangement, resembling a honeycomb or pigeon coop. When viewed from hundreds of meters away, the caves appear exceptionally magnificent.
All the grottoes are filled with painted Buddha statues and murals depicting Buddhist stories. There are more than two thousand painted Buddha statues, the largest of which is thirty-three meters tall. The murals are exquisitely crafted and incredibly numerous; if they were laid end to end, they would form a gallery more than fifty li long.
"Zhuang Rui, leave all the cameras in the car. Cameras aren't allowed inside the Mogao Grottoes. If you're interested in the Buddhist images, I can get you a complete Mogao Grottoes image catalog later..."
Upon seeing Zhuang Rui with a camera hanging around his neck, Dr. Ren, who got out of another car, reminded him that cameras are prohibited from being brought into this scenic spot because the flashes of various cameras can cause great damage to cultural relics.
Professor Meng, on behalf of the Institute of Archaeology at Peking University, collaborated with the Dunhuang Cultural Relics Research Institute to conduct research on the potential damage that carbon dioxide produced by respiration can cause to murals. As one of Professor Meng's earlier students, Dr. Ren has visited this place before and has a profound understanding of the Mogao Grottoes.
Along with the tourists, Zhuang Rui and his group entered the Mogao Grottoes. They entered the southern area of the Mogao Grottoes, which contains 487 caves, each with murals or sculptures. After entering the first cave, Zhuang Rui was attracted by the exquisite stone carvings on the rock walls and ceiling.
Looking around the cave and onto the ceiling, one sees paintings of Buddhas, musicians, and fairies everywhere. Almost every space inside the cave is filled with paintings. Upon entering the cave, Zhuang Rui felt as if he had entered an ancient art gallery, where a rich artistic atmosphere permeated the entire space.
Unlike visiting famous historical sites, all the paintings and stone Buddha statues here exude an artistic beauty. The rich and colorful and exquisite decorative patterns seem to lead people into a grand and magnificent art gallery. Every detail showcases the superb craftsmanship and artistic cultivation of our ancestors.
"Zhuang Rui, this is the flying apsara. The flying apsara advertisement we saw on CCTV is based on this..."
Inside a grotto more than 30 meters high, Dr. Ren saw Zhuang Rui looking up at the dome and began to explain to him.
Apsaras are gods who serve Buddha and Indra. They are good at singing and dancing. On the walls of this grotto, there are Apsara patterns everywhere. Some are floating in the boundless universe, some are holding lotus buds and soaring into the sky, some are swooping down from the sky like shooting stars, some are passing through tall buildings like swimming dragons, and some are drifting with the wind, leisurely and carefree.
Ancient painters, with their unique, winding lines and graceful, harmonious style, presented people with a beautiful and ethereal world of imagination. The vibrant colors and flowing lines conveyed a sense of exuberance, giving Zhuang Rui a feeling of passion to gallop across the vast desert.
"The information in movies and TV shows is nothing compared to what you see with your own eyes..."
Zhuang Rui withdrew his gaze from the dome. He had just used his spiritual energy to sense the grotto he was in. The exquisite paintings and beautiful fairies, radiant with light and flowing robes, seemed to come alive under the influence of his spiritual energy. Zhuang Rui was mesmerized and deeply moved, as if his soul was dancing and trembling along with them.
Even Peng Fei, who had absolutely no artistic talent, was captivated by these exquisite portraits and exclaimed in a daze, "Brother Zhuang, these murals seem to come alive to me!"
"Hmm, Peng Fei, this means you have an affinity for Buddhism. Why don't you just become a monk? As the saying goes, 'Put down the butcher's knife and become a Buddha on the spot...'"
Feeling the unique spiritual energy of the grotto, Zhuang Rui was in a great mood and joked with Peng Fei with a smile. However, this was only half true. In modern society, someone like Peng Fei could be considered a killing god. Being in this important Buddhist site might really help to reduce some of the violent aura on him.
"Hehe, do you accept those drunkard monks and their ilk?"
Peng Fei laughed upon hearing this. He was a fearless man, and even in this solemn place with the Buddha statue, he could only be slightly distracted.
"Stop talking nonsense here..."
Zhuang Rui shook his head, walked out of the grotto, and continued his tour. This time, he focused his attention on the various Buddhist sculptures inside the grotto.
Since the Sui and Tang dynasties were the golden age of the Mogao Grottoes, the Buddhist sculptures in the Mogao Grottoes were also deeply influenced by the Buddhist culture of the Sui and Tang dynasties. Most of the sculptures are round sculptures, with rich and full shapes, robust figures, dignified and serene expressions, and a simple and profound style.
Painted sculptures are the main body of Buddhist sculpture art in Mogao Grottoes. They include Buddha statues, Bodhisattva statues, disciple statues, as well as various painted sculptures of heavenly kings, Vajras, and warriors. The forms are rich and colorful. Round sculptures, relief sculptures, shadow sculptures, and good deeds sculptures can all be seen here. The tallest is 34.5 meters high, and the smallest is only about 2 centimeters. The richness of the themes and the superb craftsmanship make it a veritable museum of Buddhist painted sculptures.
When they reached Cave 16, Dr. Ren stopped and pointed inside, saying, "Zhuang Rui, this is the Library Cave..."
"Those precious scriptures are hidden in here?"
Zhuang Rui shone his flashlight inside. The square cave, only 2.6 meters long and wide and 3 meters high, was decorated with images of Bodhi trees and nuns. In the center was a low altar in the shape of a meditation bed, on which sat a statue of a high monk named Hong Bian. As for the "damn," not a single scroll remained.
More than a century ago, when Wang Daoshi accidentally opened up this library cave, it contained more than 50,000 artifacts, including documents, paper paintings, silk paintings, and embroideries from the 4th to the 11th centuries (i.e., the Sixteen Kingdoms to the Northern Song Dynasty). However, now, almost one-tenth of them remain in China.
Later archaeologists deduced that the Library Cave was sealed off in the 11th century by the monks of Mogao Caves when they were preparing to flee from the Western Xia army. Most of the unearthed documents are manuscripts, with a small number being printed copies, making them particularly precious. There are also ancient Tibetan, Sanskrit, Qilu, Sogdian, Khotanese, Uyghur, and Kucha texts, many of which have survived to this day and are now unique or extinct.
Although later generations have offered mixed reviews of Wang Daoshi, the discoverer of the Library Cave, Zhuang Rui has always believed that he was the culprit for the loss of this civilization. His so-called act of using the money obtained from the sale to repair the Mogao Caves cannot atone for his actions of losing these precious cultural relics.
Many might say that Wang Daoshi was selfless and did not use the money he earned from selling to foreigners for personal enjoyment, but instead lived a life of poverty. Others might say that if Wang Daoshi hadn't sold those items, they might have been destroyed in the subsequent war.
But do these friends know that the Mogao Caves have been largely unknown since the Yuan Dynasty? For hundreds of years, they have been preserved in their original state, and no one knows that precious and rare Buddhist scriptures are kept there.
Given the actions of the Qing Dynasty and the Nationalist government at the time, it was impossible for them to care about the Mogao Caves. In other words, if it weren't for Wang Daoshi opening up the Library Cave, these precious cultural relics might not have been discovered until today, and these precious Chinese cultural relics would have been well preserved.
Moreover, even after the government paid attention to him, Wang Daoshi still kept most of the precious scriptures and cultural relics of lasting value. He sold them to British archaeologist Aurel Stein for only 700 silver dollars. The total value included 24 boxes of manuscripts, 5 boxes of artworks, and 570 pieces of Dunhuang documents.
Later, French archaeologist Paul Pelli acquired more than 10,000 exquisite Dunhuang manuscripts for 600 taels of silver. The last few precious artifacts were sold by Wang Daoshi to Japanese explorers Yoshikawa Koichiro and Tachibana Zuichō.
As a result, of the more than 50,000 documents discovered in the Mogao Caves in 1900, only 8,757 were eventually collected by the National Library of China, less than half of the British Museum's collection. Therefore, in Zhuang Rui's mind, Wang Daoshi was the culprit for the loss of Dunhuang culture.
Chapter 1098 Qiu Family Nest
If Wang Daoshi had not discovered the Library Cave, perhaps Dunhuang culture would now belong solely to China. However, there are no "ifs" in this world, and it is difficult to judge who was right and who was wrong today.
However, Zhuang Rui still couldn't get over the fact that even after the government paid attention to Wang Daoshi, he still hid most of the finest Buddhist scrolls and sold them to foreign archaeologists and explorers.
As the owners of these precious cultural relics, the number of sutras and cultural relics currently held in China is less than one-seventh of the total number discovered. How can the many archaeologists in China bear this?
The past cannot be changed. After some reflection, Zhuang Rui and his companions left the Library Cave, a place that embodies both glory and humiliation, and continued their tour of the Mogao Grottoes with the tourists.
Although the Mogao Caves in Dunhuang represent the essence of Western Region culture and there are still many places for later generations to study and explore, it has formed its own unique Dunhuang culture, with dedicated researchers working tirelessly on it. This has nothing to do with Zhuang Rui's purpose for this trip.
After spending a day sightseeing in Dunhuang, Zhuang Rui and the archaeological team began to survey the surrounding geographical environment and possible burial sites. They focused their investigations primarily on areas where people still live today.
As a desert oasis along the Silk Road a thousand years ago, the people who came and settled in Dunhuang were all wealthy merchants, which led to the formation of a prosperous town within a radius of hundreds of miles around Dunhuang.
Of course, all people are subject to birth, aging, sickness, and death. Many documents unearthed before Dunhuang also mention some well-known ancient tombs. However, due to the intensification of desertification over the past thousand years, these tombs, like the ancient Loulan Kingdom, have disappeared without a trace.
The unique geographical environment of the desert was only one factor that made Zhuang Rui's work more difficult. What troubled everyone even more was that the prosperity of Dunhuang and its surrounding areas a thousand years ago had also attracted many tomb raiders. The two suspected tombs discovered a few days ago both showed obvious signs of being visited by tomb raiders.
In the past few days, Zhuang Rui and his team did not enter the desert area, but instead conducted investigations in Wuwei and Jiuquan, which are very close to Dunhuang. However, the survey results disappointed Zhuang Rui. They did find a lot of tombs, but like in Henan and Shaanxi, almost all the funerary objects inside had been looted.
Zhuang Rui felt somewhat helpless. It seemed that Earth could no longer stop the tomb raiders. Even in such a remote place, they had attracted a large number of underground workers.
After discussing it with Dr. Ren, Zhuang Rui decided to venture into the desert the next day to visit a historical site Dr. Ren had previously visited. Perhaps the relentless desert would deter tomb raiders.
"Wow, so beautiful, absolutely gorgeous..."
On the morning of the fourth day after arriving in Dunhuang, just as the sun was rising, Zhuang Rui and his group drove away from Dunhuang city and into the desert. Xiao Jia and the others, who had never been here before, were immediately captivated by the beautiful scenery before them.