Posted 2016/11/8
Dunhuang, an ancient city in Gansu Province, Western China, was the gateway to what was called the "Silk Road" leading to Central Asia and Europe. The Silk Road or Silk Route refers to not one but many routes of trade and cultural and religious exchange extending from China, through Central Asia, to the Middle East and Western Europe. Dunhuang is world famous for its artistic sculpture statues and fresco paintings of the 4th - 14th century in China, which reflect Silk Road civilization and important aspects of the Chinese people's religious life, arts, and customs in the history, including the introduction of Buddhism to China during this period. Over 1,000 caves were cut out of the cliffs in Dunhuang in this period, and a wide variety of colored frescoes and murals were preserved in these caves before it excavations in the 20th century. It has been regarded as a national treasure of China.
DunHuang frescoes contain many artistic representations of famous images as depicted in various Buddhist stories and sutras - classic religious texts of Buddhism. These outstanding and graceful artistic images show as aesthetic form that often reflected daily life in China in the age the frescoes were painted. In the late 1980's, after close study of these images from Dunhuang frescoes, leading Chinese dance experts created a special Silk Road style dance called "DunHuang Dance." With a breathtaking beauty and elegance, this cultural performance reflects a rich and distinctive dance tradition in China.
The traditional Chinese ribbon dance that our dancer Chih Ting Shih performs in People Like Me 2003 is from the classical Dunhuang "flying figure" dance. While the ribbons were originally part of the costume, the dancer now holds the ends of the ribbons in her hands and manipulates the shape and flow of the ribbon to the music of the Chinese orchestra.
