Dunhuang - Ancient Frontier Fortress | show | 2020 | Official Trailer - video Dailymotion

Depicts the rise and fall of ancient Chinese city Dunhuang's generals, warlords, monks, and Empress Wu Zetian. | dHNfaFI0NlJ4OXRJeFE

Transcript

00:00 In the year 1900, in the caves of Mogao, near Dunhuang, West China, a Taoist monk makes

00:08 one of the greatest archaeological discoveries of all time.

00:14 In a sealed cave he finds tens of thousands of ancient manuscripts, filled with untold

00:20 tales of heroic warriors, mysterious travellers, and legendary kings and rulers.

00:31 This was an incredible and unprecedented amount of first-hand material that was discovered

00:38 and it basically revolutionized the study of Chinese history.

00:44 Now experts are discovering how the desert oasis of Dunhuang rose to become a vital stronghold.

01:01 And how Dunhuang used its position on the ancient Silk Road, a trading route stretching

01:07 from China all the way to Rome, to become a thriving metropolis, rich with an incredible

01:12 diversity of cultures, languages, and faiths.

01:17 But who were the characters that shaped Dunhuang's turbulent history?

01:23 From a master general who had big ambitions beyond his borders...

01:26 The Han Dynasty is the time when China and Rome, you know, first become vaguely aware

01:33 of each other.

01:34 To a canny governor who used foreign allies to fight corruption...

01:39 This period sees the arrival of Sogdian traders into China who were to exert an enormous influence

01:46 for the next few centuries.

01:54 From a fearsome tribal warlord looking to exploit China's disunity...

01:59 The empire must fall apart.

02:02 When it's fallen apart it must unite.

02:04 It's the pattern of Chinese history.

02:07 And an ambitious courtesan with her eyes on the greatest prize of all...

02:19 To an eminent Buddhist monk determined to leave a legacy...

02:22 The range of materials that we see in the library cave is unique in the world.

02:26 There's simply nothing else like it.

02:28 And what is new research revealing about the controversial exploitation of Dunhuang's treasures?

02:35 Stein in the form of a donation of work money, stole the treasures from the library cave and transported them to London.

02:41 [Music]

02:43 you

02:45 [BLANK_AUDIO]