What does flying mean?

Tian Fei is the business card of the Mogao Grottoes in Dunhuang, Gansu Province, a symbol of Dunhuang art and an immortal work of art, as long as you see the beautiful flying sky. People will think of the art of Dunhuang Mogao Grottoes. Almost all of the 492 caves in Dunhuang Mogao Grottoes are painted with flying sky. More than 4,500 people in all. Its number can be said to be the best preserved grottoes among Buddhist grottoes and temples in the world and China.

The origin of the name

The name of Tian Fei in Dunhuang comes from Buddhism, which refers to deified figures who have turned into pure land and whose heaven is heaven, such as Brahma, Virtuous Heaven, Virtuous Heaven and Thirty-three Days. There is a cloud in Tibet in the Tang Dynasty: "It is also heaven for foreign countries to call on God." In Buddhism, the gods fly in the air, which is called flying. Tian Fei often appears in the murals of Buddhist grottoes. In Taoism, mythical figures who have ascended to heaven are called "immortals", such as "leading immortals", "celestial immortals" and "barefoot immortals", and immortals who can fly in the air are called flying immortals. In the Song Dynasty, the Taiping Magnolia Volume 622 quoted a cloud in Fairy Products: "Flying in the clouds, lightly deifying, thinking that immortals are also flying in the clouds."

Flying in Buddhism

Tian Fei is the incarnation of Ganlu Po and Kinnara in Buddhism. Dry donkey woman, literally translated as Tian Ge God, Kinnara, literally translated as Tianle God. Originally an entertainment god and a dance god in ancient Indian mythology, they were a couple, and later they were absorbed by Buddhism as one of the gods of Tianlong Babu. The task of the nectar girl is to send out fragrance in the Buddhist country, present flowers and treasures to the Buddha, live among the flowers and fly in the heavenly palace. Kinnara's task is to play music, dance and dance in the Buddhist country, but he can't fly in the clouds. Later, Manna and Kinnara mixed, regardless of gender and function, and became one flying thing. Now, those who played music in the early days are called "Yue Ji in Tiangong", and those who later sang and danced with musical instruments are called "Yue Ji in Tian Fei".

The style of flying in Dunhuang is characterized by no wings, no feathers, relying on clouds instead of clouds, but flying in the air by fluttering dresses and fluttering ribbons. In a variety of ways, this is based on the national tradition, absorbing and integrating the achievements of foreign flying art, developing and creating the flying image of Dunhuang.

In the early days of Dunhuang, flying sky was mostly painted on the top of the cave, decorated with algae wells on the top of the cave, the upper edge of the niche and the heads of the main characters in the Bunsen story painting. During the Northern Wei Dynasty, the scope of Tian Fei's paintings has been extended to illustrations and Buddhist niches. Although the image of flying still retains the characteristics of flying in the western regions, it has changed and gradually turned into flying in Dunhuang. For example, on the back of the north wall of Cave 226 in the Northern Wei Dynasty, there is a scattered flower flying above the west side of the picture. The face is transformed from goose egg to long and full, with small nose and mouth, symmetrical facial features, slender figure, fluttering skirt, flying across the sky, heroic and spirited, like flying cranes, fragrant flowers, beautiful posture and strong sense of movement. Tian Fei in Sui Dynasty was in a period of integration, exploration and innovation. Mainly manifested in different shapes, slender figure, moderate proportion, soft waist and graceful appearance. Some faces are comely, while others are plump. Clothing is different, some are semi-naked, some are long-sleeved and some are short-sleeved. There are different flight modes, including solo flight, group flight, up flight, down flight, against the wind and downwind flight. By the Tang Dynasty, Tian Fei in Dunhuang had completed the process of absorbing and integrating Chinese and foreign countries, completely formed its own unique style, and reached the peak of art. The four murals in the Tang Dynasty caves were all large-scale paintings. Flying is not only painted on seaweed, shrines and four curtains, but most of them are painted on classics. Buddha said in Elysium that the sky flies around, and some land slowly on colorful clouds; Some hold their heads high, swing their arms and soar upwards; Some hold flowers and go straight into the sky; Some hold flower trays and float across the sky. Skirts swaying with the wind and fluttering ribbons make the flying sky look so light, ingenious, chic and moving. After the Five Dynasties and the Song Dynasty, Tian Fei's modeling efforts were not innovative, but gradually formulated. Although Tian Fei's style and characteristics are different, each generation is not as good as the next, and gradually loses its original artistic life.

From the 4th century (Sixteen Kingdoms) to the 4th century14th century (Yuan Dynasty), many flying images preserved in the grottoes in Dunhuang area are treasures of national art and a wonderful flower of Buddhist art. ..

The symbol and development of flight.

Flying immortals are often painted in tomb murals, symbolizing that the soul of the tomb owner can ascend to heaven. After Buddhism was introduced into China, it exchanged and merged with Taoism in China. During the Wei, Jin, Southern and Northern Dynasties, shortly after the spread of Buddhism, flying in murals was also called flying fairy, which was the difference between flying fairy and flying fairy. With the in-depth development of Buddhism in China, the flying gods of Buddhism and Taoism are integrated in artistic image, but in name, they just regard flying in the air as flying. Flying in Dunhuang is a flying god painted in Dunhuang grottoes, and later became a special term for Dunhuang mural art.

The artistic image of flying in Dunhuang

As far as artistic image is concerned, Dunhuang Tian Fei is not a cultural and artistic image, but a synthesis of various cultures. Although Tian Fei's hometown is in India, Tian Fei in Dunhuang was bred by Indian culture, western culture and Central Plains culture. It is a flying sky with China cultural characteristics. It is a long-term exchange between Indian Buddhist heaven and human beings and China Taoist feather people, flying in the western regions and flying in the Central Plains. It was a featherless, round, dull, colorful and cloudless sky, soaring mainly by fluttering dresses and fluttering ribbons. Flying in Dunhuang can be said to be the most talented creation of China artists and a miracle in the world art history.

Characteristics of Dunhuang Tian Fei Times

Flying in Dunhuang murals and the creation of Huai grottoes appeared at the same time, starting from sixteen countries, going through ten dynasties, lasting more than a thousand years, and disappearing with the construction of Dunhuang grottoes until the end of Yuan Dynasty. In this long history of more than 1000 years, Tian Fei's artistic image, posture, artistic conception, style and taste are constantly changing due to the historical situation such as the replacement of dynasties, the transfer of political power, the development and prosperity of economy and the frequent exchanges between Chinese and Western cultures. Different times and artists have left us Tian Fei with different styles and characteristics. Over the past 1000 years, Dunhuang Tian Fei has formed a unique history of evolution and development. Its evolution history is roughly consistent with the whole history of Dunhuang art development, which is divided into four stages.

Ascending period

It took about 170 years from the Sixteen Kingdoms to the Northern Wei Dynasty. During this period, the flight of Dunhuang was deeply influenced by the flight of India and the western regions, and it was generally the flight of the western regions. However, the flight characteristics of the two dynasties were slightly different during this period. When the northern part of the Mogao Grottoes is cool, Feitian is mostly painted on the top of the grottoes, in the decoration of algae wells on the top of the grottoes, along the top of the niche, and on the main head of bunsen burner's story painting. Its modeling and artistic features are: round head, oval face, straight nose and big eyes, big mouth and big ears, earrings, round head, or wearing tendrils, or wearing a five-treasure crown of India, short stature, half-naked upper body, long skirt wrapped around the waist and a big scarf on the shoulders. Because of the discoloration of the smudge technique, it turned into a white nose and white eyes, flying around in caves such as Qiuci in the western regions.

The northernmost Wei-style flying sky is the two-body flying sky above the story picture of "Ben Sen, the dead fart king" painted on the north wall of Cave 254, and the two-body flying sky above the explanatory picture on the back of the north wall of Cave 260. The outstanding features of these four flying bodies are: round heads, Indian five-gem crowns and slender faces. Because of discoloration, the nose is white, the eyes are white, and it is a small face. The upper body is half naked and the legs are slender, forming a "U" shape with a large opening. Skirts are floating, towels are flying, flying in the air, and smallpox is falling everywhere. Although Tian Fei's body and ribbon have changed color, the halo and lines of the skirt ribbon are very clear. Tian Fei's flying momentum is dynamic and powerful, and her posture is free and beautiful.

Innovation period

It took about 80 years from the Western Wei Dynasty to the Sui Dynasty. During this period, Dunhuang Feitian was in the stage of communication, integration and innovation between Buddhism and Taoism, flying in the western regions and flying in the Central Plains. It is a sky where Chinese and western cultures blend. The Western Wei Feitian in the Mogao Grottoes is painted in the same position as the Northern Wei Dynasty. Only in the Western Wei Dynasty, there were two different styles of flying, one was flying in the western regions, and the other was flying in the Central Plains. Birds in the Western Regions inherited the modeling and painting style of birds in the Northern Wei Dynasty. One of the biggest changes is that: as the goddaughter of Xiang Shen, scattered flowers are flying in the sky, picking up various musical instruments and flying in the air; Kinnara, the god of music and dance, rushed out of the sky fence and flew into the sky. The two gods merged into one, and became the later flying, also called scattered flowers flying, geisha music flying. His representative works, such as the four-body geisha flying on the western wall of Cave 249.

Flying in the Central Plains is a new flying in the Mogao Grottoes with the artistic style of the Central Plains, which was brought from Luoyang by Wang Rong during his tenure as the secretariat of Guazhou. This kind of flight is a combination of China Taoist flying fairy and Hindu flying fairy: China Taoist flying fairy lost its feather wings, bare upper body, wearing a necklace around her neck, a long skirt around her waist and colorful ribbons on her shoulders; Buddhism in India, lost its crown, tied it into a bun and put on a Taoist crown. The publicity of the characters is in the shape of "showing bones and clear images" in the Central Plains, with slender figure, thin face and long neck, wide forehead, straight nose, fine eyes and eyebrows, upturned corners of the mouth and a slight smile. Its most representative is the twelve flying bodies in the upper layer of the south wall of Cave 282. These twelve bodies fly in the sky, with their heads tied in a double bun, their upper bodies exposed, long skirts tied around their waists and ribbons draped over their shoulders. They are slender and fly in the wind, playing drums, clappers, flutes, flutes, lusheng, pipa, Zou and other musical instruments respectively. The ceiling is spinning, the clouds are fluttering, setting off the flying sky and dancing in the wind. As light as a swallow, take care of each other, be free and happy, and travel in space.

The Northern Zhou Dynasty was a minority regime established by Xianbei people in the northwest. Although the reign was short, many caves were built in Mogao Grottoes. The rulers of Xianbei people believe in Buddhism and are familiar with the western regions, so the flying of the western regions once again appeared in the Mogao Grottoes. This new flying man has the style of Kucha and Qizil, with a round face, strong body, short legs, a round head, a crown, bare upper body, a round chest and navel, a long skirt around the waist and a scarf around the shoulders. The most prominent thing is that the face and body are smudged by bumps. Now because of color change, there are five whites: white edge, white nose, white eyes and white chin. The flying posture is an open "U" shape, short and strong, simple and clumsy, almost returning to the painting style characteristics of flying in the northern cool period of Mogao Grottoes. But the image is much richer than that of the Northern Liang Dynasty, and there are many geisha flying in the sky.

The most northern Zhou style flying sky is the flying sky in Cave 290 and Cave 428. Flying in these two caves. He has a strong figure, a round face, a round head, an Indian crown, five white facial features, a naked upper body, a long skirt around his waist, a scarf with epaulettes, and a thick and concave body. Now the round navel is more prominent because of discoloration and breast enlargement. Princess Letian, a geisha in Cave 428, is rich in modeling. She can play pipa, cricket, flute and waist drum, with vivid image and beautiful posture. In particular, a flight suit on the west side of the south wall, with two clarinets, purple and gold crowns, and inverted feet, a long belt flew from below, and smallpox fell in all directions, like a swift swallow swooping down. Sui Dynasty is the era when the paintings of Mogao Grottoes fly the most, and it is also the era when the Mogao Grottoes fly with the most kinds and the richest postures. In the Northern Dynasties, Tian Fei painted the location of Tian Fei, mainly around the algae wells on the ceiling, around the upper floor of the ceiling and inside and outside the Buddhist niches on the western wall, mostly in groups. The styles of Tianfei in Sui Dynasty can be summarized as four differences. Regional characteristics are different. In the caves of the Sui Dynasty, there were those flying from the western regions and those flying from the Central Plains. Today, it is a combination of Chinese and Western.

The face is different, and the face is round and delicate; There are strong ones and slim ones. But most of them are slender, moderately proportioned, with soft waist and graceful. Clothes and costumes are different, some are half naked, and some are supported by badges; Some wear sleeveless short skirts, and some wear long skirts with wide sleeves; Some wear crowns, some wear buns, and some fly like bald monks. There are different flying postures such as flying up, flying down, flying with the wind, flying against the wind, flying solo and flying in groups, but the flying posture is no longer U-shaped, and the body is relatively free to stretch. Generally speaking, Tian Fei in Sui Dynasty was in a period of communication, integration, exploration and innovation. The general trend is to develop in the direction of China, which laid the foundation for the complete China of Tianfei in Tang Dynasty. The most sui-style flying days are those in Cave 427 and Cave 404. Cave 427 is one of the large caves in Sui Dynasty. It is also the cave with the most flying paintings in the Sui Dynasty. The four walls of the cave flew around the cave along the wall of the Heavenly Palace, with a total of 108 bodies. This 108 is flying, wearing a crown, half-naked upper body, garlands, bracelets, long skirts around the waist and ribbons around the shoulders, mostly left over from flying in the western regions, and costumes. Although the skin color has turned black, the image is still very clear. Some hands folded, some holding lotus flowers, some holding flower trays, some waving their hands and scattering flowers, and some flying around the cave in one direction with instruments such as cricket, pipa, flute and harp. Its posture is diverse and light, with long skirts fluttering and colorful ribbons dancing in the wind. Flying around, floating clouds dancing, falling flowers spinning, full of movement and vitality. Cave 404 is a medium-sized cave in the middle and late Sui Dynasty. The walls of the cave are drawn along the wall of the Temple of Heaven, which flies around the cave. Tian Fei, like Cave 427, has different postures, some holding lotus flowers, some holding flower trays, some holding scattered flowers, and some holding various musical instruments, flying against the wind in one direction, with light posture and graceful posture. However, great changes have taken place in jewelry and clothing: no round head, no crown, some bunches of peach-shaped fairy buns, some bunches of double-ring fairy buns, some bunches of fairy buns, faces, fine eyes and meters, slender figure, light and soft dresses and long towel bandwidth. Clothing, face and posture, like flying in the early Tang Dynasty, have been completely China-oriented.

prime

From the early Tang dynasty to the late Tang dynasty, it runs through the whole Tang dynasty, about 300 years. Tian Fei in Dunhuang was developed and created on the basis of its own culture and art, constantly absorbing the elements of Indian Tian Fei and integrating the achievements of the Western Regions and Tian Fei in the Central Plains. From the Sixteen Kingdoms, through the Northern Liang Dynasty, the Northern Wei Dynasty, the Western Wei Dynasty, the Northern Zhou Dynasty and the Sui Dynasty, the communication, absorption and integration between China and foreign countries, east and west, north and south of Dunhuang Tian Fei were completed in a hundred years, and the process of China was completed. In the Tang Dynasty, Tian Fei in Dunhuang entered a mature stage, and its artistic image reached the most perfect stage. The flight in Dunhuang during this period was completely China-like, unlike that in India and the Western Regions.

Tang Dynasty is the dynasty with the largest number of large-scale classics in Mogao Grottoes, and almost all the walls in the grottoes are occupied by large-scale classics. Flying is also mainly painted in large-scale classics. On the theme, on the one hand, large-scale painting shows the scene of Buddha's statement, supported by scattered flowers, songs and dances, and hymns; On the other hand, it shows the joy of the Elysium, such as the "Western Pure Land" and the "Oriental Pure Land", which have undergone large-scale transformation. Fly around the Buddha's head, or fly over the paradise, and some land slowly on colorful clouds; Some hold their heads high, shake their arms and soar upwards; Some hold flowers and go straight into the sky; Some hold flower trays and float across the sky. The fluttering dresses and dancing ribbons are really like the poem of Li Bai, a great poet in the Tang Dynasty, praising the fairy: "Holding the hibiscus, you are too timid." Poetic description of "clothes dragging broadband to the sky"

Burial experts of Dunhuang Research Institute divide the Tang art of Dunhuang Grottoes into four stages: early Tang, prosperous Tang, middle Tang and late Tang. These four stages are divided into two periods: the early Tang Dynasty is the early stage, that is, the Tang Dynasty directly ruled Dunhuang area and buried it (AD 618 ~ 781); The middle and late Tang Dynasty was the later period, that is, the Tufan nationality occupied Dunhuang area, and Zhang Yichao, an envoy of Hexi Guiyi Army, managed Dunhuang area (AD 78 1 ~ 907). Artistic style can best reflect the political, economic and social forms of the times. Flying in the early Tang Dynasty was enterprising, bold, unrestrained and strange. The ever-changing beauty of flying. This is consistent with the enlightened politics, strong national strength, prosperous economy, rich culture and enterprising spirit of opening up the country in the early Tang Dynasty. The most distinctive flying days in the early Tang Dynasty are the double flying days and the four flying days in Cave 320 in the prosperous Tang Dynasty painted in Cave 32 1 in the early Tang Dynasty.

On both sides of the western wall of Cave 32 1, two flying bodies are painted respectively. These two bodies are silent in the sky, and their flying posture is very beautiful. Although their flying faces and bodies have turned black, the lines of their eyebrows, posture and dress ribbon are very clear: slim, with their heads held high, their legs lifted, their hands spread out, and the dress ribbon stretched with the wind and slowly fell from top to bottom, like two swallows flying in the air, showing the beauty of chic and light flight. Four flying paintings in Cave 320 are on the canopy above the head of Amitabha Buddha in the western pure land of the south wall. There are two bodies on each side, in a symmetrical form, around the canopy, chasing each other: one in front, spreading flowers, and the other in the back, raising their arms and chasing each other. Call first and then respond, showing an enterprising, free and relaxed spirit and the beauty of flying. Around Tian Fei, colorful clouds float and fragrant flowers fall, which not only shows Tian Fei's devotion to the Buddha, but also shows the freedom and joy of the Buddha's paradise. Although Tian Fei's body has turned black and his face is unclear, his overall image is clear, with a slender figure, light posture, accurate body proportion, smooth and powerful line drawing and rich colors. He is one of the representative works of Tianfei in Tang Dynasty.

Flying in the late Tang Dynasty has lost its right-wing enterprising spirit and free and happy mood in momentum and posture. In artistic modeling, clothing has changed from gorgeous and rich to elegant and light, human body has changed from fullness and beauty to thinness and simplicity, and expression has changed from excitement and joy to calmness and anxiety. Among them, the most representative are several flying objects painted on the top of the large Nirvana Sutra on the west wall of Cave 158 in the middle Tang Dynasty. These flying bodies fly around the bodhi tree treasure cover on the top of Nirvana Sutra, some holding flower trays, some holding incense burners, some playing Qiangdi, and some waving their hands and scattering flowers to provide support for the Buddha. However, he looks calm and has no sense of joy. His solemn expression reveals a sad look, reflecting a religious realm of "heaven and man are sad". At the same time, it also reflects the decline of national strength at the end of the Tang Dynasty, the anxiety of Chinese people and the feelings of the litigants begging to return to the Tang Dynasty when the Tubo ruled Dunhuang. On this quiet day, they are located on the north side of Baogai, and their gestures and expressions are the most vivid. Its flying posture, head held high, hands holding garlands, legs raised backward, around the treasure cover, gently falling from top to bottom, with a long ribbon floating on its back and colors floating under its chest. The clothes are elegant, the body is only outlined by lines, the eyes are delicate, the expression is solemn and slightly worried. The flying posture is not as exciting and light as it was in the early Tang Dynasty, and it seems a bit heavy.

recession

It took about 460 years from the Five Dynasties to the Yuan Dynasty, including the Five Dynasties, Song Dynasty, Xixia and Yuan Dynasty. During this period, Tian Fei in Dunhuang inherited Seo Woo in the Tang Dynasty, and the prison sentence was not dynamically innovated, but gradually formulated. There was no innovation and change in Sui Dynasty, and there was no enterprising spirit in Tang Dynasty. Although Tian Fei's artistic level and style are different, each generation is not as good as the next, which gradually improves the original artistic life. The flight styles of these four dynasties are briefly described as follows: The Five Dynasties and the Northern Song Dynasty were the period when the Cao regime Hexi Guiyi Army ruled Dunhuang area. During this period, Tian Fei inherited the legacy of the Tang Dynasty, but did not innovate, while the loss of Tian Fei fully carried forward the lively and cheerful tone of Tianfei in the Tang Dynasty. However, Cao Shi's regime believed in Buddhism, built and rebuilt a large number of grottoes in the Mogao Grottoes and Yulin Grottoes, built painting academies, hired some famous painters at that time, inherited the style characteristics of imitating the Tang Dynasty, and left some excellent flying works in the Yulin Grottoes and the Mogao Grottoes. The representative works are Tian Fei in Yulin Cave 16 Cave and Cave 327 in Mogao Grottoes. Yulin Cave 16 Cave was a cave in the early Five Dynasties. Although the flying sky painted in the cave is not as lively and beautiful as the flying sky in the Tang Dynasty, it has craftsman spirit, but it is very decorative. For example, this cave is beautifully painted, with a guzheng and a flying sky, both of which are tied in a bun, with heavy eyebrows and big eyes, straight nose and small lips, round face, earlobe, half-naked upper body, chest ornaments, bracelets and bracelets, long skirts around the waist and barefoot. Its biggest feature is that the flying towel belt is three times longer than the body, there are floating flowers in the middle of the flying towel belt, and there are colorful clouds flowing under the flying towel belt, flying like a headwind in color, and the whole picture is symmetrical and equal, which is very decorative.

Cave 327 is a cave in the Mogao grottoes in the late Song Dynasty. The ceiling of the cave is covered with paintings for a week. Some people hold flowers and some people play music to support the Buddha. Its two bodies flying on the north side of Dongpo are perfect in image and posture. Both of them wore a bun, a pearl crown, naked upper body, necklaces and jewels on their arms, plump faces and delicate facial features. Holding a flower tray and dancing with a phoenix head, it blooms in a zigzag shape on the wall of the Tiangong, flying against the wind, fluttering skirts, flying long ribbons, flying on the body, falling flowers, flying under the body, and colorful clouds flying. Although there is no momentum of flight in the Tang Dynasty, the flight dynamics are also very vivid, which can be said to be the masterpiece of flight in the Song Dynasty.

Xia is a minority clan regime established by Tangut people in northwest China. During the Xixia period, the Mogao Grottoes flew in the sky, some caves attacked the Song style, and some had the unique style of Xixia. The biggest feature is that the characters and folk customs of Tangut in Xixia were integrated into the image of Tian Fei. The face is long and round, the cheeks are bulging, the eyes are deep and the nose is deep, and the body is strong. It is dressed in leather and decorated with beads, which is very secular. Among them, the representative figure is the boy flying in hole 97. In the niche on the west wall of this cave, a teenager flying in the sky is painted, with the same image, posture and clothes: bald head, pigtails on both sides, round face, fine eyebrows, upturned eyes, thick lips and bulging cheeks, bare legs, full muscles and strong physique. The arm is decorated with beads and bracelets, and the waist is tied with animal skins and abdominal circumference, and the feet are booties. One is holding a lotus, the other is holding a disc, one leg is bent, and the other leg is lifted and flies from top to bottom. Behind the ribbon flying, flying momentum is not strong. These two flying bodies are no longer lawless in the early days-the demeanor of Buddhist music gods and Song gods, nor the graceful charm of flying in the Tang Dynasty. If you wipe off the towel belt on your arm, there will be a colorful cloud below, which is completely a boy dressed as incense. From the figures, hairstyles and costumes, they all show the characteristics and life style of Xixia Party.

In Yuan Dynasty, Mongols ruled Dunhuang area, and Mogao Grottoes and Yulin Grottoes rarely built or rebuilt grottoes. Tantric Buddhism was popular in Yuan Dynasty, which was divided into Tibetan and Chinese. There is no flying in Tibetan tantric art, and there are not many flying in Han tantric art. Among them, the four-body flying in the top two corners of the diagram of "A Thousand Hands and Thousand Eyes Guanyin Classic Change" on the south wall and the north wall of the third cave is more representative, and the two-body flying above the diagram of "Guanyin Classic Change" on the north wall is more perfect. These two flying bodies are symmetrical, and their images, postures and costumes are basically similar. They wore a cone-shaped bun, a pearl crown, a round face, long eyebrows and beautiful eyes, half-naked upper body, pendants decorated with jewels, lotus flowers in one hand and lotus branches in the other, and fell from the sky in yellow cirrus clouds. The dress towel belt is very short. There is no flying posture of Buddhism, but like two Taoist fairies flying in the clouds. Flying in Dunhuang, which has passed through the Millennium, presents different characteristics of the times and national styles. Many beautiful images, joyful realms and eternal artistic vitality still attract people today. As Mr. Duan Wenjie said in "Flying on the Earth", "They didn't die with the passage of time, but they are still alive. In new songs and dances, murals, and craft words (trademarks and advertisements), the image of flying is everywhere. It should be said that they have descended from heaven to earth and will live in people's hearts forever, constantly giving people enlightenment and beautiful enjoyment. "

Existing flight patterns in Dunhuang

There are only three existing Beiliang Grottoes in Mogao Grottoes. The most cool flying in the north is the natural disaster flying above the main characters in this micro-story painting on the north wall of Cave 275, with a round head, wearing a five-treasure crown of India, or a bun on his head, half-naked upper body, U-shaped body, feet tilted upward, or breaking up or crossing his hands, showing a volley flying posture, but this flying posture is very clumsy and has a sense of falling. The U-shaped body also appears straight and hard, not yet round, slightly curved, with traces of flying posture of Indian stone carvings. The scope of Tian Fei's paintings in the Northern Wei Dynasty in Mogao Grottoes has been expanded. Not only painted on the ceiling, ceiling, story painting, niche, but also painted inside and outside the narrative map and niche. The image of flying in the Northern Wei Dynasty, some caves generally retained the characteristics of flying in the western regions, but some caves changed obviously and gradually changed to China. Tian Fei's face changed from plump to slim, with thin eyebrows, small nose and symmetrical facial features. Have a round head, or wear five jewelry crowns, or a bun. The proportion of the figure is gradually slender, and some legs are equivalent to twice the waist. And all kinds of flying postures. Some have swam through space, some have soared with their arms, and some have flown with their hands. They are heroic and generous. The momentum is like flying clouds and cranes. Where the sky falls, fragrant flowers fall, which is quite poetic.