Podcasts about dunhuang academy

Zhao Shengliang, a lifelong scholar of Dunhuang art, stood side by side with President Xi Jinping as they carefully inspected caves, sculptures and paintings that date back more than 1,600 years.It was Zhao's second time accompanying Xi on such a cultural inspection, yet the moment struck him just as profoundly as the first time, as it reaffirmed the president's unwavering dedication to preserving China's rich heritage.As part of Xi's four-day trip to Gansu province last week, Zhao accompanied the president on a fact-finding trip to the Maijishan Grottoes, one of China's four major grottoes sites. The other three are the Mogao Grottoes in Dunhuang, Gansu; the Yungang Grottoes in Datong, Shanxi province; and the Longmen Grottoes in Luoyang, Henan province.Xi, who is also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, encouraged cultural heritage professionals to remain dedicated to safeguarding the nation's treasures and to contribute greater efforts to the preservation and innovation of China's rich cultural heritage, while strengthening China's cultural influence on the global stage.The Maijishan Grottoes feature 221 caves connected by elevated walkways and house more than 10,000 clay sculptures. Known as the "Oriental Sculpture Museum", it is a significant landmark along the ancient Silk Road.China's vast landscape is home to nearly 6,000 cave temples, and the Chinese president lauded the nation's major grottoes as "treasures of Chinese civilization" that hold significant historical and cultural value.Xi previously visited the Mogao Grottoes in August 2019, a trip for which Zhao also served as part of the entourage, and the Yungang Grottoes in May 2020.Zhao, who is also Party secretary of the Dunhuang Academy, said: "The strongest impression I have is President Xi's deep respect for China's outstanding traditional culture. He has shown great concern for cultural heritage sites that represent Chinese civilization, such as the Mogao and Maijishan grottoes, and he has dedicated considerable attention to the preservation of these cultural relics."The president was also very attentive as he visited with art workers who were restoring the cave paintings at the complex, Zhao said."I believe it is essential for more people today to learn about the Maijishan Grottoes, especially artists, who can draw inspiration from its sculptures to create new works that contribute to modern socialist culture," he added.Ning Qiang, dean of Beijing Foreign Studies University's School of Art and Research, said that the grottoes stand as a testament to the cultural exchanges between China and other civilizations, and they embody the spirit of inclusiveness, adaptation and innovation of Chinese culture, another key factor underlying the president's keen interest in cultural heritage.The Maijishan Grottoes site is one of those on the UNESCO World Heritage Site "Silk Road: Chang'an-Tianshan Corridor Road Network", which spans China, Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan."It was the shared beliefs and lifestyles of the people in these regions that led to the creation of the caves as a common cultural achievement," Ning added.Since being elected general secretary of the CPC Central Committee in 2012, Xi has issued more than 170 important directives on cultural relics, archaeology and intangible cultural heritage, and has conducted on-site investigations of over 100 historical and cultural heritage sites."Historical and cultural heritage is a valuable resource that is neither renewable nor replaceable, and its protection should always be given top priority," Xi said when visiting the Yungang Grottoes in Shanxi.During the inspection of Gansu last week, Xi expressed his support to the Dunhuang Academy in building an example of world cultural heritage protection and a center of Dunhuang studies.Zhao, the scholar, highlighted the need to understand the distinctive features of the Maijishan Grottoes."In order to enhance the influence of the Maijishan Grottoes, the key is to adhere to the approach of using culture to shape tourism and tourism to highlight culture," Zhao said.The conservation efforts applied to Dunhuang culture have been extended to the Maijishan Grottoes, Zhao said, adding that a complete monitoring and early warning system has been put into place, with each grotto being monitored for air quality, temperature and humidity. Nationwide, China is also making major strides in the preservation of its grottoes and other similar cultural heritage.Digital collections have been completed for eight cave temples of the Maijishan Grottoes, and many murals and colored sculptures have been restored, with conservation efforts still underway, he said.The Dunhuang Academy, which boasts cutting-edge technologies in preserving cave paintings, is backed by strong funding and staff support from the government."We are now applying the method to cultural heritage sites beyond the local boundaries. We believe that the ideas and technologies employed to protect the caves will offer valuable insights for tourism development and the rational use of cultural heritage sites worldwide," Zhao said.Reporter: Ma Jingna, Xu Wei and Zhao Jia

Dunhuang is a small city in the northwestern Chinese province of Gansu. It has a history of more than 2000 years and has been crowned as “a place born in legends.” Neil Schmid is the first full-time researcher in the Dunhuang Academy. In this episode of Footprints, we'll find out why an American has decided to settle down in this remote Chinese city and what Dunhuang truly means to him. Let's together explore its relevance to China and the rest of the world today from an expat scholar's perspective.

A great trade route connected China to the West: the Silk Road. No place in China better illustrates the value of that route than Dunhuang, site of the Mogao Caves, grottos carved into a cliffside which hold the largest collection of Buddhist art anywhere. In Gansu province, Dunhuang was the site of the Jade Gate, where the main road left China into the lands beyond.   Nathan Cherry of the Silk Road History Podcast helps tell the story of these caves, their city, and the route, starting with the expedition of Zhang Qian, China's Lewis (or maybe Clark?) who first traversed into the unknown.   More stories follow: the son of immigrants who translated the sutras, the daughter who went to war, the crown prince who saved countless artifacts.   The caves are remarkable; the town is too, nestled against giant sand dunes at the edge of the desert. To eat, try Lanzhou Beef Noodle Soup, the perfect breakfast, if you like soup for breakfast - Westerners might find this a perfect dinner instead.   Selected Sources: Keay, John. China: a History   Kwa, Shiamin and Wilt L. Idema. Mulan: Five Versions of a Classic Chinese Legend, with Related Texts   Lagerwey, John and Lü Pengzhi, editors. Early Chinese religion. Part 2, The period of division (220-589 AD)   Lonely Planet China   Stephan, Annelisa. "14 Fascinating Facts about the Cave Temples of Dunhuang" from The Iris from the Getty Museum   The Dunhuang Academy's website (http://public.dha.ac.cn/)

The Three Hares Symbol The symbol of three hares in a circle joined together at the ears is found in many religions all over world. No one knows the exact meaning of the symbol. ⦁    There is a German riddle concerning the motif of the three hares is quite describing: ⦁     Three hares sharing three ears, yet every one of them has two. This design features three hares, which are shown chasing each other / running in a circle, and joined together at their ears. Although one might expect three hares to have a total of six ears, the ones in the motif have only three ears in total.  Due to an optical illusion, however, it looks as though each hare has a pair of ears. The Three Hares Motif is A Cross-Cultural Symbol with Numerous Interpretations. This design has been uncovered in Buddhist caves that are 2500 years old.  It is found in some Christian churches throughout Europe, in Islamic art and in Judaism. Until recently there has been little awareness of its wide distribution, and peple are uncovering new examples all the time. Striking depictions of three hares joined at the ears have been found in roof bosses of medieval parish churches in Devon, 13th century Mongol metal work from Iran and cave temples from the Chinese Sui dynasty of 589-618. All cultures have interpreted this ancient symbol according to what is appropriate with their belief. In Christianity it has become a symbol of the trinity; Father, Son and Holy Ghost. Originally it may have represented the Triple Goddess.  The hare has a long history of being connected to the moon, as has the goddess. Academics are intrigued at the motif’s apparent prominence in Christian, Islamic and Buddhist holy contexts separated by 5,000 miles and almost 1,000 years. The Three Hares is an ancient motif found in various parts of the world.   Although the Three Hares is a motif shared by a number of cultures, it is likely that its symbolism changed as it crossed the different cultural barriers. Hence, this design probably has differing meanings in the many cultures where it is found. The earliest known examples of the Three Hares motif can be found in China. It can be seen on the ceilings of some of the temples in the Mogao Caves (also known as the Mogao Grottoes or the Cave of the Thousand Buddhas). There are at least 17 temples in this complex where the Three Hares motif is depicted on the ceiling.  The earliest motifs found in this Buddhist site near Dunhuang, Gansu Province, Western China, are thought to date back to the 6th century AD, when China was under the Sui Dynasty.  In the subsequent Tang Dynasty, the icon of the Three Hares continued to be used. Dunhuang, The town, is famous for a network of caves containing thousands of documents and fabrics from the Silk Road, which were sealed in about 1000 AD. The caves and their contents – preserved astonishingly well by the dry local climate – were rediscovered by Hungarian-born, British-based explorer Marc Aurel Stein, who trekked along the Silk Road a series of times between 1900 and 1930. Although China possesses the earliest known examples of this motif, it has been speculated that the Three Hares is not a Chinese design, and may have originated further west, perhaps from Mesopotamia, Central Asia, or the Hellenistic world.  This is based on the fact that many other artistic elements in the Mogao Caves are from the West.   Nevertheless, examples of the design from these proposed areas that predate those at the Mogao Caves have yet to be discovered. Beginning in the Han dynasty (202 BCE-220 CE), Dunhuang was an important stop on the Silk Road, the ancient trade route that stretched from Chang’an (present-day Xi’an) in the east to Central Asia, India, Persia—and, eventually, the Roman Empire—in the west.   And during the period of the Sixteen Kingdoms (366-439), at Mogao, less than a day’s journey from Dunhuang, Buddhist monks began digging out hundreds of cave temples from the cliffs along the Daquan River. The caves were decorated with statues, murals and decorative images, and construction of new caves continued at Mogao for over 500 years. During the Sui and Tang dynasties (581-907), three-hares images were painted on the center of the ceilings of at least 17 caves.  Typically, the circle of hares is surrounded by eight large lotus petals and forms the focal point of a large painted canopy covering the entire ceiling. The following photos show what some of these images look like today. The beautiful image from Cave 407 is the most familiar of all the three-hares designs at Dunhuang. The hares are surrounded by two bands of lotus petals against a background of feitian (celestial maidens) flying in the same direction as the hares.  Notice the hares’ eyes, all four legs, and the white scarves trailing from around their necks. Interestingly, this is the only one of the 17 cave images in which the three hares are clearly running in a counterclockwise direction. The three-hares image of Cave 305 is badly deteriorated. But close study clearly reveals the white triangular silhouette indicating the hares’ ears as well as parts of their bodies. In Cave 420, all that remains is the triangle formed by the hares’ three ears along with parts of their heads. In Cave 406, the rough white silhouettes of the three hares are clearly seen against a tan background.  It would require close examination to determine whether these white areas are places where a darker pigment of the original hares has changed color over time or the original pigment has peeled off to expose a white undercoat. In Cave 383, the slender hares are gracefully leaping with front and hind legs fully outstretched. In Cave 397, the white silhouette of one hare and parts of the other two are still clearly visible. It appears that bits of the original pigment remain, although its tone may have changed over time. In some places all the paint has peeled off, exposing the beige clay. The images of the three hares in Cave 205 are very well preserved. Less so for the images in Caves 144 and 99. In addition to the caves shown above, the three hares motif also appears in Caves 200, 237, 358 and 468 from the Middle Tang dynasty (781-847) and Caves 127, 139, 145 and 147 from the Late Tang dynasty (848-906). (In Cave 127, the artist—either by carelessness or design—has created a unique variation of the three-hares image. Each hare’s ears are together, and the ears of all three hares form a Y-shaped pinwheel instead of the usual triangle.) Of all 17 three-hares images, the one in Cave 139 is the most detailed. This image is also the best preserved—perhaps because the cave is accessible only through a small elevated opening on the right side of the entryway to Cave 138. The three hares are tan against a light green background and are surrounded by eight lotus petals. Each hare is beautifully drawn in pen-like detail, with clearly visible features, including mouth, nose, eyes (with eyeballs!), all four legs, feet (including toes!) and tail. Even the fur on the stomach, breast, legs and head of each rabbit is shown. Four Hares at Guge There is also at least one site in present-day Tibet with puzzling images of hares sharing ears.  Images of four hares sharing four ears can be found in the ruins of the ancient kingdom of Guge, which thrived from the mid-10th century until its defeat in 1630.  On the ceiling of Guge’s White Temple are 314 painted panels, and one of these panels has two roundels, each showing four hares chasing each other in a clockwise direction…. Other Buddhist Images of Three and Four Hares Other Buddhist images of three and four hares occur in Ladakh, within the present Indian state of Jammu and Kashmir.  At Alchi on the bank of the Indus River is a temple complex that was built in the late 12th to early 13th century while Alchi was within the western Tibetan cultural sphere. Within this temple complex, inside the Sumtsek, or Three-Tiered Temple, is a sculpture of Maitreya. On Maitreya’s dhoti are painted more than 60 roundels depicting scenes from the life of Buddha Sakyamuni. Each space between four such roundels is decorated with images with long-eared animals chasing each other in a clockwise direction. Some of the spaces show three animals sharing three ears, while others show four animals sharing four ears.” Dr Tom Greeves, a landscape archaeologist, has suggested the motif was brought to the West along the Silk Road. Dr Greeves, from Tavistock, Devon, said: “It is a very beautiful and stirring image which has an intrinsic power which is quite lovely. “We can deduce from the motif’s use in holy places in different religions and cultures, and the prominence it was given, that the symbol had a special significance. The Silk Road played an important role in the diffusion of the Three Hares motif. It was via this trade route that the Three Hares symbol found its way into the western part of China. Assuming that all later examples of the Three Hare motif have their origin in the ones found in China, then it is possible to say that the motif travelled along the Silk Road to distant lands as well. We don’t know for sure how the symbol travelled to the West but the most likely explanation is that they were on the valuable oriental silks brought to Western medieval churches to wrap holy relics, as altar cloths and in vestments. More than 1000 years ago, Dunhuang was a key staging point on the Silk Road, the famous network of trading routes which linked China with Central Asia and Iran, with branches into Tibet and South Asia. As well as commodities, the Silk Road saw religions and ideas spread great distances, and the researchers said this could be the key to the hare motif. Some later examples of this motif have been found in places such as Turkmenistan, Iran, Egypt, Syria, Germany, France, and England.  The objects on which the Three Hares motif have been found include glass, ceramics, coins, and textiles.  Many of these artifacts date to the time of the Pax Mongolica , i.e. the 13th century, a period when trade and the exchange of ideas between East and West flourished. The Three Hares appear on 13th century Mongol metal work, and on a copper coin, found in Iran, dated to 1281.[16][17][18] Another appears on an ancient Islamic reliquary from southern Russia. Another 13th or early 14th century Reliquary was from Iran from Mongol rule, and is preserved in the treasury of Cathedral of Trier Germany. On its base, the casket reveals Islamic iconography, and originally featured two images of the three hares. One was lost through damage.[19] In central Asian and Middle Eastern contexts the motif occurs • in glass (an Islamic medallion of ca. 1100, now in Berlin); • on ceramics (impressed pottery vessels at Merv, Turkmenistan in 12th c.; polychrome pottery from Egypt/Syria ca. 1200; a tile of ca. 1200, now in Kuwait); • woven on textile (four hares, 2nd quarter to mid-13th c., now in Cleveland); and • on a copper Mongol coin (Urmia, Iran, minted 1281-2). The other possibility is that the motif has a much older provenance, given the religious context in which the Three Hares motif turns up mostly in England, northern Germany, France …and with most of the symbols having either Anglo-Saxon, Celtic or semitic (Ashkenazi) medieval religious associations. In Britain the motif is most common in Devon where 17 parish churches contain roof bosses depicting the hares. On Dartmoor, it is known locally as “The Tinners’ Rabbits”, but there are no known associations with tin mining. Some claim that the Devon name, Tinners’ Rabbits, is related to local tin miners adopting it. The mines generated wealth in the region and funded the building and repair of many local churches, and thus the symbol may have been used as the miners signature mark.[21] The architectural ornament of the Three Hares also occurs in churches that are unrelated to the miners of South West England. Other occurrences in England include floor tiles at Chester Cathedral,[22] stained glass at Long Melford, Suffolk[A] and a ceiling in Scarborough, Yorkshire. The motif of the Three Hares is used in a number of medieval European churches, particularly in France (e.g., in the Basilica of Notre-Dame de Fourvière in Lyons)[23] and Germany. It occurs with the greatest frequency in the churches of the West Country of England. The motif appears in illuminated manuscripts,[24] architectural wood carving, stone carving, window tracery and stained glass. In South Western England there are nearly thirty recorded examples of the Three Hares appearing on ‘roof bosses’ (carved wooden knobs) on the ceilings in medieval churches in Devon, (particularly Dartmoor). There is a good example of a roof boss of the Three hares at Widecombe-in-the-Moor,[7] Dartmoor, with another in the town of Tavistock on the edge of the moor. The motif occurs with similar central placement in Synagogues.[2] Another occurrence is on the ossuary that by tradition contained the bones of St. Lazarus.[25] Where it occurs in England, the Three Hares motif usually appears in a prominent place in the church, such as the central rib of the chancel roof, or on a central rib of the nave. This suggests that the symbol held significance to the church, and casts doubt on the theory that they may have been a masons’ or carpenters’ signature marks.[1] There are two possible and perhaps concurrent reasons why the Three Hares may have found popularity as a symbol within the church. Firstly, it was widely believed that the hare was hermaphrodite and could reproduce without loss of virginity.[19] This led to an association with the Virgin Mary, with hares sometimes occurring in illuminated manuscripts and Northern European paintings of the Virgin and Christ Child. The other Christian association may have been with the Holy Trinity,[19][26] representing the “One in Three and Three in One” of which the triangle or three interlocking shapes such as rings are common symbols. In many locations the Three Hares are positioned adjacent to the Green Man, a symbol associated with the continuance of Anglo-Saxon or Celtic paganism. 16th century German scholar Rabbi Yosef Hayim Yerushalmi, saw the rabbits as a symbol of the Diaspora. The replica of the Chodorow Synagogue from Poland (on display at the Museum of the Jewish Diaspora in Tel Aviv) has a ceiling with a large central painting which depicts a double headed eagle holds two brown rabbits in its claws without harming them. … There are examples elsewhere in Britain in a chapel in Cotehele, Cornwall, in medieval stained glass in the Holy Trinity church in Long Melford, Suffolk, in a plaster ceiling in Scarborough, North Yorks, and on floor tiles from Chester Cathedral and in the parish church in Long Crendon, Bucks. The hare frequently appears in the form of the symbol of the “rotating rabbits”. An ancient German riddle describes this graphic thus: Three hares sharing three ears, Yet every one of them has two.[2] This curious graphic riddle can be found in all of the famous wooden synagogues from the period of the 17th and 18th century in the Ashknaz region (in Germany) that are on museum display in Beth Hatefutsoth Museum in Tel Aviv, the Jewish Museum Berlin and The Israel Museum in Jerusalem. They also appear in the Synagogue from Horb am Neckar (donated to the Israel Museum). The three animals adorn the wooden panels of the prayer room from Unterlimpurg near Schwäbisch Hall, which may be seen in replica in the Jewish Museum Berlin. They also are seen in a main exhibit of the Diaspora Museum in Tel Aviv. Israeli art historian Ida Uberman wrote about this house of worship: “… Here we find depictions of three kinds of animals, all organized in circles: eagles, fishes and hares. These three represent the Kabbalistic elements of the world: earth, water and fire/heavens… The fact that they are always three is important, for that number . . . is important in the Kabbalistic context”.[2] Not only do they appear among floral and animal ornaments, but they are often in a distinguished location, directly above the Torah ark, the place where the holy scriptures repose…”  — Wikipedia: The Three Hares It seems also likely that the commonly seen medieval Christian or Jewish symbols may have been one of the fairly universally known pagan fertility symbols in the past: The Bavarian “Community of Hasloch’s arms[depicted below] is blazoned as: Azure edged Or three hares passant in triskelion of the second, each sharing each ear with one of the others, in chief a rose argent seeded of the second, in base the same, features three hares. It is said, “The stone with the image of three hares, previously adorned the old village well, now stands beside the town hall.” “Hares and rabbits have appeared as a representation or manifestation of various deities in many cultures, including: Hittavainen, Finnish god of Hares;[35] Kaltes-Ekwa, Siberian goddess of the moon; Jade Rabbit, maker of medicine on the moon for the Chinese gods, depicted often with a mortar and pestle;[13][36] Ometotchtli (Two Rabbits,) Aztec god of fertility, etc., who led 400 other Rabbit gods known as the Centzon Totochtin; Kalulu, Tumbuka mythology (Central African) Trickster god; and Nanabozho (Great Rabbit,) Ojibway deity, a shape-shifter and a cocreator of the world.[36][37] See generally, Rabbits in the arts.” — (Wikipedia) The Celts (and Anglo-Saxons, Germans, Dutch and French) all have a folklore of hares, eggs and spring ritual folklore, the Egyptians have their Hare goddess, over a whole district of province Hermopolis, and the hare was sacred and messenger to both Wenet and Thoth (deity of scribes, in kind with the Mayan hare deity who invented writing). Sacred, moon-gazing hares were sacred and associated with moon goddesses like Ostara, Ishtar, Innanna associated with renewal, rebirth and cycles of the moon … as were the Jewish kabbalistic and Persian triple hares, which had in common with the Chinese, Korean and Japanese ones that associated the hare with goddesses of immortality, who bore the task of pounding elixirs or rice-cakes. The first known literary reference is from A Survey of the Cathedral of St Davids published in 1717 by Browne Willis. It says: “In one key stone near the west end are three rabbits plac’d triangularly, with the backsides of their heads turn’d inwards, and so contriv’d that the three ears supply the place of six so that every head seems to have its full quota of ears. This is constantly shewn to strangers as a curiosity worth regarding.” The three hares are depicted in churches, chapels and cathedrals in France and Germany. The symbol has been found in Iran on a copper coin minted in 1281 and on a brass tray, both from the time of the Mongol Empire. Meanings of the Three Hares The symbol’s meaning remains obscure but the hare has long had divine and mystical associations in the East and the West.   Legends often give the animal magical qualities. It has also been associated in stories with fertility, feminity and the lunar cycle. The Three Hares symbolized different things for the different cultures who used it. In the absence of contemporary written records, however, these meanings can only be speculation. For example, in Christian Europe, one interpretation of the motif is that it symbolized the Holy Trinity, which may explain its depictions in churches.  The problem with this hypothesis is that it was made some centuries after the motif was made, and might not coincide with the original meaning as intended by its creators. Another theory is that the hare represents the Virgin Mary, as hares were once mistakenly believed to have been able to procreate without a mate, thus giving birth without losing their virginity.  In some churches, this motif is juxtaposed with an image of the Green Man, perhaps to highlight the contrast between the redemption of humanity with its sinful nature. In the East, on the other hand, the hare is said to represent peace and tranquility, and has been regarded as an auspicious animal.  This may be the reason for its use in the decoration of the Mogao Caves for example. “The earliest occurrences appear to be in cave temples in China, dated to the Sui dynasty (6th to 7th centuries).  The iconography spread along the Silk Road, and was a symbol associated with Buddhism.  The hares have been said to be “A hieroglyph of ‘to be’.” In other contexts the metaphor has been given different meaning.  For example, Guan Youhui, a retired researcher from the Dunhuang Academy, who spent 50 years studying the decorative patterns in the Mogao Caves, believes the three rabbits image-—”like many images in Chinese folk art that carry auspicious symbolism—represent peace and tranquility.” The hares have appeared in Lotus motifs. In both Eastern and Western cultures, the hare was once believed to have magical qualities, and it has been associated with mysticism and the divine. Additionally, the hare can be found in numerous stories relating to fertility, femininity, and the lunar cycle. Thus, it may be these connections that led to the hare being incorporated into the Three Hares motifs. “If we can open a window on something that in the past had relevance and meaning to people separated by thousands of miles and hundreds of years, it could benefit our present day understanding of the things we share with different cultures and religions.” Yew Help http://www.ancient-origins.net/history/three-hares-motif-cross-cultural-symbol-numerous-interpretations-005640 http://www.chrischapmanphotography.co.uk/hares/ http://chinesepuzzles.org/three-hares/ http://news.bbc.co.uk/local/devon/hi/people_and_places/history/newsid_8280000/8280645.stm http://www.legendarydartmoor.co.uk/three_hares.htm http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/1466046/Caves-hold-clue-to-the-riddle-of-the-three-hares.html https://japanesemythology.wordpress.com/origin-of-the-three-hares-motif/

The Mogao Grottoes are a series of 492 caves carved into a cliff face near the city of Dunhuang, a central stop along the fabled Silk Road in northwestern China. Since 1989, the Getty Conservation Institute (GCI) and the Dunhuang Academy have worked together to preserve and protect these cave temples, which constitute one of … Continue reading "Cave Temples of Dunhuang"

This is NEWS Plus Special English. I'm Yun Feng in Beijing. Here is the news. China will mark its first Martyrs' Day with events across the country on September 30th. China has designated September 30th every year as a national holiday to commemorate the country's martyrs. The move is aimed at publicizing martyrs' achievements and spirits, and cultivating patriotism and socialist moralities so as to consolidate the Chinese nation's cohesiveness. This is the third national memorial day in China, following the "Victory Day of the Chinese People's War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression" on September 3rd and "National Memorial Day for Nanjing Massacre Victims" on December 13th. The "martyrs" refer to people who sacrificed their lives for national independence, prosperity, and the welfare of the people in modern times. China has around 20 million martyrs and around 300 people have been identified as martyrs annually in recent years. The authorities say that the setting on September 30th, one day before China's National Day on October 1st, has great significance, as people will take time for a more somber occasion before celebration. In addition, September 30th was also the day on which the foundations were laid for the Monument to the People's Heroes, which stands at the heart of Beijing's Tiananmen Square. This is NEWS Plus Special English. The world's largest duty-free shop has opened its doors in the coastal city of Sanya in China's southernmost Hainan Province. The "Haitang Bay" duty-free shopping center has attracted almost 300 international brands. For several of them, including Prada and Rolex, it is the first time they have appeared in a duty-free shop on the Chinese mainland. With an area of 72,000 square meters, the center replaces an existing duty-free shop which is just one seventh of the new store's size in downtown Sanya. China International Travel Service Group, CITS, has invested 5 billion yuan, or around 814 million U.S. dollars, in the center, which is run by China Duty Free Group under CITS. Officials say the new store excels any others in the world in space, functions and the number of brands; and its opening is a milestone for China's duty-free market. China grants Hainan permission to run a trial duty-free program in a bid to make the island province a world-class tourist destination by 2020. You are listening to NEWS Plus Special English. I'm Yun Feng in Beijing. China has set up a special fund in a bid to better finance the protection of the Great Wall. The Cultural Relics Protection Foundation has raised more than 18 million yuan, or almost 3 million U.S. dollars, from donations; and a committee was set up to manage the fund. The Great Wall has a total length of more than 21,000 kilometers and is one of the most iconic landmarks of China. The aging world heritage site is confronted with pressing challenges including a lack of protection and most notably a shortage of renovation fund in some undeveloped regions. This is NEWS Plus Special English. The renowned Mogao Grottoes in northwest China's Gansu Province have been well-protected from sand erosion and encroaching desert following 70 years of continuous effort. A combined system consisting of barriers and plant belts have been installed to ward off erosion of the Grottoes, a World Heritage Site of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization. The accumulated sand in the grottoes has mostly been removed thanks to sand control projects, greatly minimized the damage to murals and sculptures. Since the 1940s, various measures have been taken to stop the drifting sand, and in the late 1980s, the Dunhuang Academy started cooperating with international organizations to protect the grottoes. A project launched in 2008 has also strengthened the sand control system around the grottoes. The Mogao Grottoes have gained global recognition for their huge collection of Buddhist artwork, boasting more than 2,000 colored sculptures and 45,000 square meters of frescoes in almost 740 caves carved along a cliff. It became China's first UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1987. You are listening to NEWS Plus Special English. I'm Yun Feng in Beijing. Net users say the teenage students who were prevented from attending classes in Beijing for not meeting their school's hairstyle requirements were going a hair too far. The No. 1 Middle School of Huairou District blocked three male students from their first day of classes after claiming they did not comply with the school's dress and style code. All male students must sport a crew cut, while females must wear their hair in a braid or tied up. According to the regulation, students are also forbidden from wearing nail polish or having long finger nails. Violators will be suspended on the spot. Though the school argued the code aims at helping students focus on their studies, many feel the policy is too rigid. Some net users said the rules are ridiculous because there is no such scientific study that shows a hairstyle has any link with one's academic performance in school; and that the education system kills personality. Others, however, support the move by the school, saying it can prevent students from spending too much time comparing each other's hairstyle.

Join us for an inspiring afternoon with Fan Jinshi, steward and protector of the World Heritage Site at Dunhuang, China. This remarkable Silk Road oasis, where hundreds of exquisitely decorated grottoes hold China's most important repository of Buddhist art, is a splendid legacy for China and the world. Ms. Fan, Director of the Dunhuang Academy, has worked at the site for 49 years. An indomitable woman with a powerful vision for its future, she remains Dunhuang's guiding force, conserving its ancient murals and sculptures for future generations at a time when surging tourism threatens to overwhelm the site. Joining the conversation will be Asian Art Museum Trustee Mimi Gates, Director Emerita of the Seattle Art Museum, who has formed the Dunhuang Foundation to preserve Dunhuang and raise awareness about its artistic treasures.

Join us for an inspiring afternoon with Fan Jinshi, steward and protector of the World Heritage Site at Dunhuang, China. This remarkable Silk Road oasis, where hundreds of exquisitely decorated grottoes hold China's most important repository of Buddhist art, is a splendid legacy for China and the world. Ms. Fan, Director of the Dunhuang Academy, has worked at the site for 49 years. An indomitable woman with a powerful vision for its future, she remains Dunhuang's guiding force, conserving its ancient murals and sculptures for future generations at a time when surging tourism threatens to overwhelm the site. Joining the conversation will be Asian Art Museum Trustee Mimi Gates, Director Emerita of the Seattle Art Museum, who has formed the Dunhuang Foundation to preserve Dunhuang and raise awareness about its artistic treasures.