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''The Great Dunhuang'' is a Chinese television series based on the history of the oasis city of
Dunhuang Dunhuang () is a county-level city in Northwestern Gansu Province, Western China. According to the 2010 Chinese census, the city has a population of 186,027, though 2019 estimates put the city's population at about 191,800. Dunhuang was a major ...
, which lies on the ancient
Silk Road The Silk Road () was a network of Eurasian trade routes active from the second century BCE until the mid-15th century. Spanning over 6,400 kilometers (4,000 miles), it played a central role in facilitating economic, cultural, political, and reli ...
. With a Buddhist sutra printed in gold lettering as the
plot device A plot device or plot mechanism is any narrative technique, technique in a narrative used to move the Plot (narrative), plot forward. A clichéd plot device may annoy the reader and a contrived or arbitrary device may confuse the reader, causing ...
, the series retells the rise, fall and rebirth of Dunhuang in three parts, each covering a different period in Chinese history: the
Western Xia The Western Xia or the Xi Xia (), officially the Great Xia (), also known as the Tangut Empire, and known as ''Mi-nyak''Stein (1972), pp. 70–71. to the Tanguts and Tibetans, was a Tangut-led Buddhist imperial dynasty of China tha ...
, the late
Qing dynasty The Qing dynasty ( ), officially the Great Qing,, was a Manchu-led imperial dynasty of China and the last orthodox dynasty in Chinese history. It emerged from the Later Jin dynasty founded by the Jianzhou Jurchens, a Tungusic-speak ...
, and the
Republican era Republican Era can refer to: * Minguo calendar, the official era of the Republic of China It may also refer to any era in a country's history when it was governed as a republic or by a Republican Party. In particular, it may refer to: * Roman Re ...
. The series was first broadcast in mainland China on
CCTV Closed-circuit television (CCTV), also known as video surveillance, is the use of video cameras to transmit a signal to a specific place, on a limited set of monitors. It differs from broadcast television in that the signal is not openly t ...
from 31 October – 25 November 2006.


Plot

The original version did not have titles for the 3 parts. The Japanese DVD version, however, gave the following titles: Part One, , Part Two, , and Part Three, .


Part One (episodes 1–12)

Part One is set in the Jingyou era (1034–1038) of the reign of Emperor Renzong in the
Song dynasty The Song dynasty (; ; 960–1279) was an imperial dynasty of China that began in 960 and lasted until 1279. The dynasty was founded by Emperor Taizu of Song following his usurpation of the throne of the Later Zhou. The Song conquered the rest ...
. The
Kingdom of Khotan The Kingdom of Khotan was an ancient Buddhist Saka kingdom located on the branch of the Silk Road that ran along the southern edge of the Taklamakan Desert in the Tarim Basin (modern Xinjiang, China). The ancient capital was originally sited to ...
is conquered by the
Kara-Khanid Khanate The Kara-Khanid Khanate (; ), also known as the Karakhanids, Qarakhanids, Ilek Khanids or the Afrasiabids (), was a Turkic khanate that ruled Central Asia in the 9th through the early 13th century. The dynastic names of Karakhanids and Ilek ...
. Meiduo, a Khotan princess, flees to
Dunhuang Dunhuang () is a county-level city in Northwestern Gansu Province, Western China. According to the 2010 Chinese census, the city has a population of 186,027, though 2019 estimates put the city's population at about 191,800. Dunhuang was a major ...
to join her elder sister, Zhenniang. Along the way, she meets
Li Yuanhao Emperor Jingzong of Western Xia (1003–1048), born Li Yuanhao () or Tuoba Yuanhao (), also known as Zhao Yuanhao (趙元昊), Weiming Yuanhao (嵬名元昊) and Weiming Nangxiao (嵬名曩霄), was the founding emperor of the Western Xia dynasty ...
, the ambitious
Western Xia The Western Xia or the Xi Xia (), officially the Great Xia (), also known as the Tangut Empire, and known as ''Mi-nyak''Stein (1972), pp. 70–71. to the Tanguts and Tibetans, was a Tangut-led Buddhist imperial dynasty of China tha ...
ruler who desires to dominate the western regions of China. Li, who has been eyeing Dunhuang for a long time, plans to make use of the princess to seize control of the city. He sends his general Wangrong to escort Meiduo to Dunhuang and pass a message to Cao Shunde, the governor of Dunhuang. Li asks Cao for permission to allow his army to pass through Dunhuang, so that he can help Meiduo take revenge by attacking the Kara-Khanid Khanate. Li is actually plotting to take over Dunhuang once his army enters the city. Li Yuanhao and Cao Shunde used to be rivals a decade ago because both of them fell in love with the same woman, Zhenniang, who eventually married Cao. Cao senses Li's ill intentions so he secretly sends a messenger to the Song imperial court to ask for reinforcements. However, the Song government is occupied with a war against the
Liao dynasty The Liao dynasty (; Khitan: ''Mos Jælud''; ), also known as the Khitan Empire (Khitan: ''Mos diau-d kitai huldʒi gur''), officially the Great Liao (), was an imperial dynasty of China that existed between 916 and 1125, ruled by the Yelü ...
, so they despatched Fang Tianyou, an artist from the
Hanlin Academy The Hanlin Academy was an academic and administrative institution of higher learning founded in the 8th century Tang China by Emperor Xuanzong in Chang'an. Membership in the academy was confined to an elite group of scholars, who performed sec ...
, to resolve the crisis. Fang brings with him a Buddhist sutra printed in gold lettering, in the hope that the presence of the sutra in Dunhuang will increase the sanctity of the city and make Li Yuanhao think twice about invasion. In Dunhuang, Fang Tianyou meets Meiduo and they fall in love with each other on first sight. However, Wangrong also has feelings for Meiduo and he uses his lord's name to coerce Cao Shunde to agree to let him marry Meiduo. Concurrently, Li Yuanhao requests to borrow the Buddhist sutra for a few days but is rejected by Cao Shunde. Li then sends his forces to occupy
Guazhou Guazhou County (), formerly (until 2006) Anxi County () or Ansichow, is a county in the northwest of Gansu province, the People's Republic of China. It is under the administration of Jiuquan City. History Emperor Wudi (140-87 BCE) had th ...
, a strategic town in Dunhuang, and says that Guazhou will be the
bride price Bride price, bride-dowry (Mahr in Islam), bride-wealth, or bride token, is money, property, or other form of wealth paid by a groom or his family to the woman or the family of the woman he will be married to or is just about to marry. Bride dow ...
for the marriage between Wangrong and Meiduo. Cao Shunde and Fang Tianyou discuss plans to counter Li Yuanhao's aggressive advances. Fang proposes forming alliances with other kingdoms in the region against Western Xia. However, their offers are rejected by those kings, who fear Western Xia's military might, and Dunhuang becomes even more isolated. Eventually, it is clear that the only way to ensure peace between Dunhuang and Western Xia is for Meiduo to marry Wangrong. However, on her wedding night, Meiduo escapes and goes to find Fang Tianyou. Wangrong is angered when Meiduo is nowhere to be found and he leads an army to attack Dunhuang. Cao Shunde's subordinates are already very displeased with their master for not resisting Li Yuanhao, so they turn against him and kill him in the ensuing battle. Dunhuang ultimately falls to Western Xia. Zhenniang commits suicide by throwing herself into a fire after making Li Yuanhao promise her that he will not massacre Dunhuang's citizens. Wangrong's search for Meiduo leads him to the
Mogao Caves The Mogao Caves, also known as the Thousand Buddha Grottoes or Caves of the Thousand Buddhas, form a system of 500 temples southeast of the center of Dunhuang, an oasis located at a religious and cultural crossroads on the Silk Road, in Gansu p ...
, where he starts ravaging the sacred grounds and slaughtering innocents. Meiduo realises that there is no escape and she leaps off a cliff to prevent Wangrong from harming Fang Tianyou. Fang wanders around aimlessly in the vast desert, holding a piece of the Buddhist sutra. He encounters a sandstorm. When the dust clears, only the sutra is left. In the far distance, an insane Wangrong is seen riding towards the horizon, tightly hugging Meiduo's dead body in his arms.


Part Two (episodes 13–30)

Part Two is set in the late
Qing dynasty The Qing dynasty ( ), officially the Great Qing,, was a Manchu-led imperial dynasty of China and the last orthodox dynasty in Chinese history. It emerged from the Later Jin dynasty founded by the Jianzhou Jurchens, a Tungusic-speak ...
. Qin Wenming, an official from the Ministry of Works, is commissioned by the imperial court to find jade in
Dunhuang Dunhuang () is a county-level city in Northwestern Gansu Province, Western China. According to the 2010 Chinese census, the city has a population of 186,027, though 2019 estimates put the city's population at about 191,800. Dunhuang was a major ...
. He disappears mysteriously and leaves behind no traces. His lover, Chunxia, suffers from depression and turns insane. Qin Wenming's twin brother, Qin Wenyu, travels to Dunhuang in search of his brother but finds himself caught in a deceptive plot. He is determined to unravel the mystery behind his brother's disappearance and decides to remain there. At the same time, he relies on Yan, the magistrate of Dunhuang, for help. He also befriends a camel trader named Feng Dagang, a craftsman called Wang Youxiang, and Wang's daughter Xinghua. He encounters a female bandit chief, Honglian, and his brother's lover Chunxia, who recovers from her mental illness after mistaking him for Qin Wenming. With assistance from his friends and companions, Qin Wenyu makes a startling discovery that the clue to his brother's disappearance lies in a piece of a Buddhist sutra his brother left behind for him. Qin Wenyu concludes that the Buddhist sutra is an ancient artefact from Dunhuang and strongly believes that there is something hidden in the oasis city. In the meantime, two British explorers, Baker and John, arrive in Dunhuang to hunt for treasure. Magistrate Yan denies them permission to carry out their activities. An earthquake occurs and the
Buddhist manuscripts Buddhism ( , ), also known as Buddha Dharma and Dharmavinaya (), is an Indian religion or philosophical tradition based on teachings attributed to the Buddha. It originated in northern India as a -movement in the 5th century BCE, and gra ...
concealed in the
Mogao Caves The Mogao Caves, also known as the Thousand Buddha Grottoes or Caves of the Thousand Buddhas, form a system of 500 temples southeast of the center of Dunhuang, an oasis located at a religious and cultural crossroads on the Silk Road, in Gansu p ...
are revealed. The greedy Priest Wang allows Baker and John to steal the manuscripts, which are regarded as national treasure, and escape from Dunhuang. Qin Wenyu is steadfast in his belief that the manuscripts be retrieved so he urges Magistrate Yan to send his men to arrest the thieves. Just then, they receive news that the armies of the
Eight-Nation Alliance The Eight-Nation Alliance was a multinational military coalition that invaded northern China in 1900 with the stated aim of relieving the foreign legations in Beijing, then besieged by the popular Boxer militia, who were determined to remove fo ...
have occupied
Beijing } Beijing ( ; ; ), alternatively romanized as Peking ( ), is the capital of the People's Republic of China. It is the center of power and development of the country. Beijing is the world's most populous national capital city, with over 21 ...
, and the Qing government has agreed to peace talks. Yan immediately turns friendly towards the British explorers and even agrees to allow them to leave with the treasure. Qin Wenyu is disappointed with the magistrate's decision and decides to take matters into his own hands. While bringing his friends with him in pursuit of Baker and John, they fall into an ambush laid by Magistrate Yan and his men. Yan intends to capture Honglian and claim the bounty on her head, but Chunxia sacrifices herself to save Honglian. Qin Wenyu, Honglian, Feng Dagang and their companions are shot to death by the magistrate's men. The national treasure from Dunhuang falls into the hands of Baker and John.


Part Three (episodes 31–46)

Part Three is set in 1936, during the
Republican era Republican Era can refer to: * Minguo calendar, the official era of the Republic of China It may also refer to any era in a country's history when it was governed as a republic or by a Republican Party. In particular, it may refer to: * Roman Re ...
just before the outbreak of the
Second Sino-Japanese War The Second Sino-Japanese War (1937–1945) or War of Resistance (Chinese term) was a military conflict that was primarily waged between the Republic of China and the Empire of Japan. The war made up the Chinese theater of the wider Pacific Th ...
. Liang Moyan, a painter, and his wife Su Qingping, a sculptor, want to fulfil their dream of restoring the ancient city of
Dunhuang Dunhuang () is a county-level city in Northwestern Gansu Province, Western China. According to the 2010 Chinese census, the city has a population of 186,027, though 2019 estimates put the city's population at about 191,800. Dunhuang was a major ...
. However, their task is not going to be easy, as there are various opposing factors at hand: Dunhuang is in ruins due to a long history of tomb raiding and desecration; the couple run into trouble with bandits; the local residents are indifferent towards the idea of reviving Dunhuang; foreigners have also set their sights on the city; the government is inept and keeps shoving responsibilities around. Liang Moyan and Su Qingping are unwilling to give up on their quest and they start preserving artefacts and rebuilding Dunhuang. With their sheer determination and sincerity, they move many people and even succeed in influencing younger generations to continue their work. However, the couple also sacrifice themselves in their fight against grave robbers and plunderers. Chiba Sanrō, a young artist from Japan who has a fervent interest in Dunhuang, travels to the oasis city. He has received a secret order from the Japanese military to find the Buddhist sutra printed in gold lettering. Despite his fiery passion for art, he was strongly influenced by militarism in his homeland, so he harbours prejudiced views against the Chinese people. During his encounters with Liang Moyan and Su Qingping, his soul experiences an unprecedented shock and baptism. The personal struggles and reflections he went through eventually prompt him to overcome his hostility towards the Chinese and make a fresh start in life. The stories of Liang Moyan, Su Qingping and Chiba Sanrō tell us that Dunhuang's heritage truly belongs to those who know how to appreciate and preserve it.


Cast


Part One

*
Tang Guoqiang Tang Guoqiang (born 4 May 1952) is a Chinese actor best known for portraying historical figures in several films and television series. Some of his more notable roles include: various Chinese emperors (e.g. Emperor Taizong of Tang, Yongle Emper ...
as
Li Yuanhao Emperor Jingzong of Western Xia (1003–1048), born Li Yuanhao () or Tuoba Yuanhao (), also known as Zhao Yuanhao (趙元昊), Weiming Yuanhao (嵬名元昊) and Weiming Nangxiao (嵬名曩霄), was the founding emperor of the Western Xia dynasty ...
, the ruler of
Western Xia The Western Xia or the Xi Xia (), officially the Great Xia (), also known as the Tangut Empire, and known as ''Mi-nyak''Stein (1972), pp. 70–71. to the Tanguts and Tibetans, was a Tangut-led Buddhist imperial dynasty of China tha ...
. * Chen Hao as Meiduo, a princess from the
Kingdom of Khotan The Kingdom of Khotan was an ancient Buddhist Saka kingdom located on the branch of the Silk Road that ran along the southern edge of the Taklamakan Desert in the Tarim Basin (modern Xinjiang, China). The ancient capital was originally sited to ...
. * Huang Haibing as Fang Tianyou, a Song artist from the
Hanlin Academy The Hanlin Academy was an academic and administrative institution of higher learning founded in the 8th century Tang China by Emperor Xuanzong in Chang'an. Membership in the academy was confined to an elite group of scholars, who performed sec ...
. * Ren Tianye as Wangrong, a Western Xia general. * Liao Jingsheng as Cao Shunde, the governor of Dunhuang. * Deng Ying as Zhenniang, Cao Shunde's wife and Meiduo's elder sister. * Zhang Guangzheng as Wuchen, a Song priest. * Liu Dagang as Ashena, from the
Dian Kingdom Dian () was an ancient kingdom established by the Dian people, a non-Han Chinese metalworking civilization that inhabited around the Dian Lake plateau of central northern Yunnan, China from the late Spring and Autumn period until the Eastern Han d ...
. * Lu Yong as Zhang Yingshou, a Dunhuang general. * Xue Haowen as Luo Zan, a general.


Part Two

* Wan Hongjie as Qin Wenyu, a Qing official and scholar. * Tao Feifei as Chunxia, a virtuous woman. * Shang Tiantong as Honglian, a female bandit chief. * Gao Lancun as Magistrate Yan, an official in charge of Dunhuang. * Shi Xiaoman as Jiang Xiaoci, the boss of the Fulong Company. * Su Tingshi as Priest Wang * Li Zhi as Liu Dakui, a bandit. * Dania as John, a British tomb raider. * Mohammed as Baker, a British tomb raider. * Luo Xuwu as Feng Dagang, a camel trader. * Wei Deshan as Wang Youxiang, a craftsman. * Chen Baojia as Master Zhao, a Qing merchant. * Wu Jiayi as Ma Quande, a camel trader. * Hu Xiaoting as Xinghua, Wang Youxiang's daughter. * Sun Di as Choudan, a young camel trader. * Wang Xuanyin as Shuimei, a female bandit. *
Zhang Tielin Zhang Tielin (born 15 June 1957) is a British actor and film director. He is best known for portraying the Qianlong Emperor in the first two seasons of the Chinese television series ''My Fair Princess''. Early life and education Zhang was born ...
(guest star) as a Qing governor


Part Three

*
Wei Zi Wei Zi (; born January 1956) is a Chinese film and television actor. Early life Born and raised in Ningxia, he was originally named Wang Wei (). Education He graduated from the Ningxia College of Art in 1978 and was assigned to the Ningxia Repe ...
as Liang Moyan, a painter. * Li Jianqun as Su Qingping, Liang Moyan's wife and a sculptor. * Xia Fan as Chiba Sanrō, a young Japanese artist. *
Yvonne Yung Yvonne Yung (born 17 September 1968) is a Hong Kong actress and former beauty pageant winner. Early life Yung was born on 17 September 1968 in Beijing. At age 12, Yung immigrated to Hong Kong. Career Yung started her entertainment career as a ...
as Hongliu, a female bandit from the northwest. * Wang Huichun as Chen Yizhong, an antique trader. * Zhang Qiuge as Dou Heizi, a bandit chief. * Lu Jun as Lu Jingru, the mayor of Dunhuang. * Wang Jun as Takeno, a Japanese warrior. * Chang Chuan as Tang Liancheng, a housekeeper. * Liu Peiqing as He Fugui, the master of an opera troupe. * Liu Sha as Li Yaqin, a young artist. * Ma Jing as Yanzi, a young woman interested in the culture of Dunhuang. * Wang Lanwu as Sun Shichang, an innkeeper. * Ding Haifeng (guest star) as Miyamoto, a Japanese general.


References


External links

*
''The Great Dunhuang''
on
Sina.com Sina Corporation (, "new wave") is a Chinese technology company. Sina operates four major business lines: Sina Weibo, Sina Mobile, Sina Online, and Sinanet. Sina has over 100 million registered users worldwide. Sina was recognized by '' South ...
{{DEFAULTSORT:Great Dunhuang, The 2006 Chinese television series debuts 2006 Chinese television series endings Television series set in the Northern Song Television series set in the Qing dynasty Dunhuang Television series set in the Western Xia Mandarin-language television shows China Central Television original programming Chinese historical television series Television shows set in Gansu