The fresco of the flying goddess in Dunhuang
The flying celestial of Dunhuang is the iconic artistic image of the Mogao Grottoes in Dunhuang. There are many flying goddesses in the murals of the Mogao Grottoes. The Mogao Grottoes were built in the Pre-Qin Dynasty. After many dynasties, they were built continuously and formed a huge scale. There were 735 caves, 45,000 square meters of murals and 2415 clay sculptures. It was the largest and most abundant Buddhist art site in the world. Among them, there were more than 4,500 statues of the Flying Goddess. The image of the Dunhuang Flying Apsaras had evolved in different periods. From the Sixteen Kingdoms to the Northern Wei Dynasty, it was influenced by India and the Western Region's Flying Apsaras, and had a strong foreign cultural atmosphere. From the Western Wei Dynasty to the Sui Dynasty, it was in the stage of communication, integration, and innovation. The Sui Dynasty had the largest number of Flying Apsaras and the most diverse types, and the dynamic description of flying was greatly improved. In the Tang Dynasty, it reached its peak, and it was basically China. The craftsmen's skills were mature, and the image was almost perfect. In the Western Xia and Yuan Dynasties, although there were modifications, there was no great innovation. In terms of artistic features, the flying murals in Dunhuang have the characteristics of natural and agile lines. Their bright techniques can show the flying trajectory of the fluttering clothes in the air, full of musical charm and movement. Flying Apsaras were shaped like willows and wind. They expressed the beauty of the shape through delicate texture and brush and ink language. The strokes were natural and agile, and the freehand colors were strong. Its spiritual meaning was conveyed to the viewer through the lines, and the elegant ribbon enhanced the sense of movement. At the same time, the Dunhuang Flying Apsaras were not only a display of human beauty, but also a symbol of exuberant vitality. They integrated human beauty into psychological artistic conception. They were the product of the combination of romantic spirit and creative methods, reflecting the beautiful vision of the ancients, with extremely high aesthetic sense and artistic taste. "Legend of the Flying Apsaras" is equally exciting. Everyone is welcome to click and read it!
The Flying Goddess of Dunhuang
The flying goddess of Dunhuang was a classic image in Dunhuang art. Judging from their appearance, they usually wore elegant clothes and had unique hairstyles and makeup. For example, some of the Flying Goddesses were wearing long pink dresses and holding pipa in their hands. Their hair was tied up high, and the corners of their eyes were red. Some of them were wearing robes as white as snow with sequins and beads interwoven. The jewelry and flowers on their headdress reflected each other. Their hair was high into the clouds, and there were exquisite ornaments on their foreheads. Their earrings swayed in the wind. In modern culture, artists often used the flying goddess of Dunhuang as inspiration to create. For example, when Wang Churan shot the portrait of the goddess of Dunhuang, the stylist carefully designed the clothes and makeup details, including choosing the gentle powder commonly seen in Dunhuang murals as the color of the skirt, extracting elements such as red eyes and red lips from the murals for makeup, and carefully designing accessories such as mother-of-pearl and bracelets. Experts from the Dunhuang Research Institute were invited to be the consultant and field investigation behind the scenes. Zhou Jieqiong had also performed as a goddess in the desert. These works helped to spread the cultural elements of Dunhuang, and triggered people to think about the cultural meaning behind the image of the flying goddess of Dunhuang and the inheritance of Dunhuang culture. "Legend of the Flying Apsaras" is equally exciting. Everyone is welcome to click and read it!
The Flying Goddess in the Dunhuang Murals
The Flying Goddess in the Dunhuang murals originated from the concept of Buddhism. She was the incarnation of Gantapa and Jinnaro. They were originally the gods of entertainment and singing and dancing in ancient Indian mythology. Later, they were absorbed by Buddhism as one of the eight gods of the Heavenly Dragon. After combining into one, they became the God of Heaven and Earth in Buddhism. They were introduced from India to China and after more than a thousand years of development, they formed a Chinese style. Almost every grotto in the Mogao Grottoes of Dunhuang had drawn flying goddesses, totaling more than 4500, showing different styles and characteristics in different periods. The early period was the Northern Liang, Northern Wei, and Western Wei Dynasties, which were the budding stages of imitation. The shapes were thick, heavy, thick, and simple. The middle period was the Northern Zhou and Sui Dynasties, which were in the creative transformation period. The creation of the Sui Dynasty was more vivid. The peak period was the early Tang, the middle and late Tang, and the Five Dynasties. It was the fixed period and the peak period. The basic image was the Bodhisattva costume and the female figure. In the Tang Dynasty, it was influenced by the court dance and the painting of beautiful women. The later period was the Song, Xixia and Yuan periods, which were in the stylized stage or decline period. The theme of the Song Dynasty murals was basically the same as that of the later Tang Dynasty, lacking innovation and momentum. The image of the flying goddess of Dunhuang was featured by the fact that she did not have wings or feathers. She relied on the clouds instead of relying on them. She soared in the air with fluttering dresses and flying ribbons. She was in all kinds of poses and ever-changing. This was created on the basis of the national tradition, absorbing and integrating the achievements of foreign flying art. Their main job included scattering flowers to create a beautiful atmosphere, which reflected the relevant functions of Buddhism. These images of the flying goddesses became the unique artistic charm of the Mogao Grottoes in Dunhuang. They were also one of the symbols of Dunhuang art and were known as immortal works of art. "Legend of the Flying Apsaras" is equally exciting. Everyone is welcome to click and read it!
The meaning of the flying goddess of Dunhuang
From the perspective of Buddhist culture, the Flying Goddess was related to Gantala and Jinnaro. Gantala was the music god in the Buddhist Kingdom, whose main task was to spread fragrance, offer flowers, praise and sing in the Buddhist Kingdom. Jinnaro was the song god in the Buddhist Kingdom, whose task was to play music. The two were integrated into the Flying Goddess of Dunhuang in China, symbolizing the significance of Buddhism such as playing music and worshipping Buddha. From the perspective of Indian mythology, the Goddess of Flying could be traced back to the image of the Heavenly Maiden. The Heavenly Maiden was originally a spirit related to water. She was brought to the Heavenly Court by the Emperor of Heaven, Indra, to entertain the gods. She sang and danced with the performance of the Heavenly Court musician, Gantava, and brought joy to the gods. Therefore, the Goddess of Flying also had the meaning of entertaining the gods. In the context of China culture, the Flying Apsaras were often painted in the murals of the tomb, symbolizing that the soul of the owner of the tomb could ascend to heaven. The Dunhuang Flying Apsaras also integrated the thoughts of China Taoist immortals, and their elegant images reflected the symbolic meaning of freedom, happiness and long-term happiness. "Legend of the Flying Apsaras" is equally exciting. Everyone is welcome to click and read it!
Statue of the Flying Goddess in Dunhuang
The statue of the flying goddess in Dunhuang was a classic image in Dunhuang murals, representing the peak of ancient Chinese art. It has also been applied to many modern scenes, such as the opening ceremony of the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games, where dancers performed the image of the "Flying Goddess", the participants dressed up as the Flying Goddess at the Lanzhou Marathon, and merchants selling statues of the Buddha statue of the Flying Goddess from Dunhuang. They even used AI technology to resurrect the flying fairy from Dunhuang murals and let her walk out of the murals to play the pipa. All of these showed the influence of the Dunhuang Flying Goddess Statue in many fields such as cultural communication, artistic creation, and business. "Legend of the Flying Apsaras" is equally exciting. Everyone is welcome to click and read it!
What is the name of the flying goddess of Dunhuang?
Dunhuang Flying Apsaras were the name cards of the Mogao Grottoes in Dunhuang. They were a complex of many cultures, not just a single person. However, in modern times, there are many people who are associated with the image of Dunhuang Feitian and mentioned, such as Yang Wenjuan, who is known as the goddess of "Feitian" on Lamasai Road; Yin Shuo, who performed "Feitian" at the opening ceremony of the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games; And in the entertainment field, Zhao Liying, Liu Yifei, Hanikezi, Yang Mi, Gulinazar and other artists have Dunhuang Feitian style and show different styles of "Feitian" image, Angelababy also has Dunhuang Feitian style attracted attention. "Legend of the Flying Apsaras" is equally exciting. Everyone is welcome to click and read it!
The origin and legend of the flying goddess of Dunhuang
The origin of the flying goddess of Dunhuang was related to the blending of many cultures. Its origin was the two Buddhist gods in Indian mythology, the God of Heavenly Songs (also known as the God of Fragrance, and the God of Singing and Dancing in Indian mythology) and the God of Heavenly Music (Jinnaro, known as the God of Entertainment in Indian mythology). Their functions were to spread incense and dance. As Buddhism spread eastward along the Silk Road, the image of Flying Apsaras flowed into Dunhuang. In this process, the image of the Flying Apsaras was also influenced by the image of the feathermen of China Taoism. In ancient legends, Taoist feathermen were long and had white wings. In the pre-Qin period, wings represented immortality. With the spread of Buddhism, the feathermen gradually absorbed Buddhist elements and evolved into the image of flying. In the local area, after the blending and collision with the Central Plains culture and the creation and processing of artists, the image of Feitian began to be localized, finally forming a unique image of the flying goddess of Dunhuang. In the legends, the Flying Apsaras were one of the gods worshiped by Buddhism. They were the attendants of Buddhas and Bodhisattvas. They specialized in playing the zither and playing music, scattering flowers and smelling fragrance, and could bring happiness to people. "Legend of the Flying Apsaras" is equally exciting. Everyone is welcome to click and read it!
Where is the statue of the flying goddess in Dunhuang?
Dunhuang's flying pipa beauty statue was located in the center of Dunhuang City's round flower bed roundabout, at the intersection of Yangguan Middle Road and Shazhou Road. There were also murals of flying apsaras in various caves of Mogao Grottoes, such as Cave 248. "Legend of the Flying Apsaras" is equally exciting. Everyone is welcome to click and read it!
A summary of the fairy tale of the flying goddess in Dunhuang
In one story, Wei Yuan was escorted to the Thousand Buddha Cave in Dunhuang to paint. In the first month, he found that the goddess in the flower flying sketch on the wall was strange. The paint seemed to have been stolen. Later, he found that the goddess looked like a painting spirit. Wei Yuan named her Moksha, which meant freedom. The painting spirit fed on paint, and while Wei Yuan was painting Moksha's body, she always wanted to eat paint. There was once when the supervisor, Old Tie, came to Wei Yuan to buy some paint. When Wei Yuan went out, he saw Moksha sticking his head out of the painting, trying to bite the paint. After that, Wei Yuan drew Moksha's arm. When he was halfway done, he asked Moksha to try stretching his arm. When she stretched her arm out, she saw Wei Yuan's poetry collection. Wei Yuan picked up a peach blossom from Chang 'an and told Moksha about his life. Wei Yuan's father was an excellent painter in Chang 'an. The Emperor had heard that his painting skills were superb, and he was sent to Dunhuang to paint walls. However, he died in the Anxi Protectorate after a long journey. Wei Yuan inherited his father's painting skills and was sent here to continue his unfinished work. He hated this place, but he could only persevere in order to return to Chang' an and see his mother. Moksha's existence made him less lonely. In addition, in reality, in the 1980s, the predecessors of Xi'an Film Studio went to Dunhuang for a field trip. According to the murals, they designed a story outline that included movements such as the Thousand-handed Guanyin and the reversed pipa. They also asked the makeup team to ensure that the styling was restored. The appearance of "Silk Road Flower Rain" copied the mural fairy, integrating various dance art forms to become the "epitome of Dunhuang". In Henan TV's Dragon Boat Festival Wonderful Tour Party's Underwater Flying God Dance "Prayer," He Haohao overcame many difficulties to restore the image of the Goddess of Luo to shoot. The Chinese Valentine's Day party's "Dragon Gate King Kong" performed a flying dance in front of the Longmen Grotto, showing a unique artistic beauty through the comparison between the fairy and King Kong. All of these showed the stories and artistic creations related to the flying goddesses of Dunhuang from different aspects. "Legend of the Flying Apsaras" is equally exciting. Everyone is welcome to click and read it!
Is it appropriate to hang the flying goddess of Dunhuang at home?
The image of the flying goddess of Dunhuang originated from the precious cultural and artistic treasures of Dunhuang murals. From the perspective of culture and art appreciation, if it was hung at home in a suitable art form (such as high-quality art replicas, etc.), it was a kind of love and inheritance of traditional China culture and art, which could increase the cultural atmosphere and artistic atmosphere. However, Dunhuang murals had extremely high historical, cultural, and artistic value, and were protected cultural heritage content. It would not be appropriate if they were the so-called "Flying Goddess" hanging paintings that were not authorized, did not respect the cultural content, or were made in a vulgar form. At the same time, factors such as different cultures and religious beliefs should also be taken into account. There may be special requirements or taboos under certain belief systems or cultural customs. "Legend of the Flying Apsaras" is equally exciting. Everyone is welcome to click and read it!
Flying to Dunhuang
The Dunhuang Flying Apsaras were like a touch of vivid color in the thousands of years, carrying a heavy history and cultural heritage. The Flying Apsaras could be traced back to the time when Buddhism was introduced into China. It spanned more than a thousand years of history and evolved in various dynasties, forming an independent art form. It is represented by the Mogao Grottoes in Dunhuang, and is also distributed in many places such as the Grottoes of Maiji Mountain and Bingling Temple. In the early days, most of the characters in the Flying Heavens were female, except for some flying monks. From the Northern Liang of the Sixteen Kingdoms to the Northern Wei Dynasty, it was deeply influenced by the Indian and Western Region Flying Apsaras. It was generally the Western Region Flying Apsaras. Later, with the development of Buddhism in China, it merged with the artistic image of Taoist Flying Immortals. Flying Apsaras had a variety of appearances in the Sui Dynasty and had the most variations. They reached their peak in the Sui and Tang Dynasties. Not only did they appear in grottoes and monasteries, but they also appeared in the emperor's bedroom. In modern times, the image of a flying celestial still shone with a unique charm. The dance program "Dunhuang·Flying Apsaras" for the 2019 Spring Festival Gala was an example of the integration of traditional China art and Western Ballet. It was adapted from the original dance drama "Dunhuang" of the Central Ballet Troupe. Through the protection of the male and female protagonists to the Dunhuang murals and the emotional stories between each other, it reflects the brilliant artistic achievements of Dunhuang and pays tribute to the artists who stick to Dunhuang. Liu Yifei's Dunhuang Flying Apsaras were stunning on the internet. She perfectly combined classical beauty with exotic customs. Her delicate face matched with elegant makeup, gorgeous clothes danced with the wind, and her dance was both gentle and graceful in the East and passionate in the West. Through delicate performances, she vividly displayed the charm of Dunhuang Flying Apsaras and carried forward China traditional culture. In 2024, it was the 80th anniversary of the founding of the Dunhuang Research Institute. The 2024 Dunhuang Calendar recreated the magnificence of Dunhuang in the past, corresponding to 366 beautiful murals, including cave murals that were not often opened to the public such as Cave 112. There were also 19 dragon element murals that combined Dunhuang art with the zodiac. There was a Dragon Year greeting card and a red calendar holder, allowing people to enjoy the beauty of Dunhuang in 366 days. The world of music also had the mark of flying. In 1982, the composer of the folk music piece "Flying Apsaras" was inspired by the Dunhuang Grottoes. With the image of flying apsaras as the theme, it integrated the artistic conception of the breeze and auspicious clouds, vividly depicting the dance scene of flying apsaras. It won the second prize in the third national music works (national musical instruments) award. Dunhuang Flying Apsaras were the treasures of art. Whether in the long river of history or on the modern cultural stage, they exuded endless charm. "Legend of the Flying Apsaras" is equally exciting. Everyone is welcome to click and read it!