Longmen Grottoes and the Civilization of Western Regions

Author: Zhang Naiyu
Publisher:
Publishing Date: 2006-12-01
Features: ★16-inch hardcover, thick paper printing, published by Zhongzhou Ancient Books Publishing House in December 2006 ★The entire book contains 425,000 words, with text sections from 1 to 160 pages and illustrations from 161 to 324 pages ★The text section is primarily written but also includes a large number of illustrations; the illustration section is primarily visual, with each illustration accompanied by descriptive text ★This book focuses on the construction history of the two stages of the Northern Wei and Tang dynasties, categorizing the cave sculptures by theme, and reporting these cultural relics through close-up illustrations and descriptive text. The Longmen Wei and Tang cultural heritage are treasures of the Central Plains. However, since the Southern Song Dynasty crossed the Yangtze River, the cultural center shifted, leaving Luoyang empty, and the culture declined. The old homeland's descendants were preoccupied with livelihood, repeating daily labor, with the countryside desolate and indifferent to cultural education. Our family's tradition of farming and studying has been passed down for five generations. Regretting the plight of the villagers, I sighed as if I were swimming without a sword. Naiyu, the son of my family, dropped out of school during the Cultural Revolution and returned to the countryside to work. Waking up in the rain at night, I began to study ancient history. I admired the scenery of Longmen and chanted the song of rowing. Though I lived near Luoyang, I always looked south. In October, after the rain cleared, universities reopened, and I left the countryside to stop farming. By the time I turned thirty, I was determined to pursue my old dream. In the spring of 1984, one day, Naiyu submitted a set of academic topics on Longmen to me. I was delighted to read them, especially the titles "Longmen Grottoes and Western Civilization," "Longmen Grottoes and Northern Ethnic Culture," "Longmen Grottoes and Central Plains Traditional Culture," "Luoyang Tang Dynasty Temple History," and "A Brief History of Chinese and Foreign Relations." I nodded in approval—our family's legacy has been continued, and how could I not be delighted! As I approach old age, I worry not about tomorrow. I wish to return to studying for my young children to comfort myself, but the time is not yet right! With tears in my eyes, I showed them, considering it a preface for the following year.