Dunhuang as Nexus of the Silk Road during the Middle Ages

May 19, 2016, Getty Center, Los Angeles
Keynote lecture by Victor H. Mair
During the Tang dynasty (618-907 CE), Dunhuang played a vital role in linking diverse civilizations across Eurasia. Situated at the western end of the Gansu Corridor, this center of Buddhist religion and art facilitated the flow of economic goods and cultural influences among peoples of many different ethnic and linguistic backgrounds. Like a funnel, it led to the heartland of China in one direction and spread out through Central Asia in the other.
Victor H. Mair, professor of Chinese Language and Literature at the University of Pennsylvania, specializes in Buddhist popular literature as well as the vernacular tradition of Chinese fiction and the performing arts. He began visiting Dunhuang in 1981 and made dozens of trips there in the succeeding decades.
This lecture complements the exhibition “Cave Temples of Dunhuang: Buddhist Art on China's Silk Road,” on view at the Getty Center from May 7 to September 4, 2016.
www.getty.edu/CaveTemples
Learn more about this event at the Getty Research Institute's website. www.getty.edu/research/exhibit...

[@neitherpeternorpaul]

Actual Lecture starts at 07:20

[@gaddyiii]

Why is the image at 49:00 distorted?

[@patod4]

Can someone explain to me why were the big Buddahs put inside temples if they were created to be seen from far away? I think that is what I heard Prof Mair say. If road guides were needed, visible temples were enough. Another question I have is about the date of the first printed book....Thanks.

[@evapaparisteidou9040]

Subtitles should have been included.

[@threeeyedgoddess7635]

distorted because we mopes don't get to have nice things

[@Kumurajiva]

Why didn’t he get a better map? Instead of this geological map, ridiculous, it’s just a green blob, omg,

[@buddhistculture1412]

Major Different india and world research the historical evidence (indian reserch the fake god,hevan ,Ram,Krishna.mahadev. Indian Brahmin never ,reserch india and Buddha original historical evidence and history (world 1st scientific man Buddha(World old major 90 knowledge source Buddhist University and Buddhist philosophy , philosopher ,rock edict, Buddhist cave, Buddhist University,...........never end this list