Dunhuang originally means "brilliance"
or "magnificence", which is a hint that it must once have been
an important city. Its position at the intersection of two trade routes
was what made Dunhuang flourish. The coming and going of horse and camel
caravans carried new thoughts, ideas, arts and sciences to the East and
West. It has always been known as a famous oasis stop on the ancient trade
route--Silk Road between China and Rome. Dunhuang is best known for nearby
caves that contain Buddhist frescoes, ritual objects, and documents dating
from the 4th to the 12th century AD. These may be the best-preserved examples
of Buddhist frescoes in China. Since the first century B.C. when Emperor
Han Wudi started to expand the empire westwards, it was an oasis irrigated
by the Tang River and began to serve as an important way station on the
main trade route between China and Central Asia. In 1986, it is entitled
to be "China historical and cultural city".
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