Dunhuang

Name: Dunhuang
ISBN: 9787516208724

Wu WeiChina Democracy and Legal System Publishing House · ChinaJan 2026

3.7

Word count: 325K words
Chapters: 26
ISBN: 9787516208724

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Summary

After the An Lushan Rebellion, the Tang Empire fragmented and its strength declined. The Tibetans seized the Western Regions, Hexi, and Longyou, cutting off the Silk Road that had flourished for centuries. Though the Tang court wished to recover the lost lands, it lacked the power to do so, and the Hexi region became a hidden pain of the empire. After Hexi fell to Tibet, Dunhuang remained a settlement of Han Chinese; though cut off from the heartland for a hundred years, its people's customs remained the same as those of the interior, and they still regarded themselves as subjects of the Tang, hoping one day to return to Tang rule. A great storm of rebellion against tyranny was brewing on the western horizon, quietly awaiting the moment to break.

Editor's review

This book turns its gaze to Dunhuang in the Hexi region after the An Lushan Rebellion, depicting the historical background of the Tang empire's decline from prosperity, the severing of the Silk Road, and the Hehuang region becoming a hidden pain of the empire. After Dunhuang fell to the Tibetans, it remained a Han Chinese settlement; although the people lived among the Western Rong, they regarded themselves as subjects of the Great Tang, and this identity and longing for their homeland form the emotional undercurrent of the whole book. The author does not write Dunhuang as mere frontier scenery or an introduction to cave art, but focuses on the accumulation of popular sentiment—the hope of returning to the rule of the Tang emperor—and how a storm of resistance against tyrannical rule was brewing on the horizon. The narrative has the tension of a historical novel and is suitable for readers interested in Tang frontier history, the changes of the Silk Road, and Dunhuang themes. When reading, one should keep in mind the broader background of Tibetan occupation of the Western Regions, Hexi, and Longyou after the An Lushan Rebellion in order to understand the weight of the characters' situations and choices.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Readers interested in Tang frontier history and the changes of the Silk Road
Those who enjoy Dunhuang themes and want to understand the situation of the people during the Tibetan occupation
Readers who prefer historical narrative and care about character fate and identity
Student readers who need supplementary background knowledge on the Tang dynasty's northwestern frontier

Not a good fit for

Readers expecting a thematic introduction to Dunhuang cave art or murals
Researchers who need strict academic verification and historical source annotations
Readers who prefer light, popular stories and lack patience for historical background setup

Reading tips

Before reading, first understand the basic historical facts of the Tibetan occupation of Hexi and Longyou after the An Lushan Rebellion
Pay attention to the identity clue of the people "regarding themselves as subjects of the Great Tang" and appreciate the changes in popular sentiment
Read with a map of the Tang dynasty's northwestern frontier to clarify the geographical relationship between Dunhuang and Hehuang
After finishing, sort out the key points in the brewing of the resistance storm to grasp the narrative rhythm

About the publisher

China Democracy and Legal System Publishing House China · Founded in 1989

China Democracy and Legal System Publishing House focuses on professional legal publishing. Its output covers working materials for state organs of power, compilations of laws and regulations, legal popularization readers for the public, law textbooks and documentation on people's congress work, with law, politics and social sciences as common categories. Representative titles in the catalog include the Civil Code of the People's Republic of China, the Constitution of the People's Republic of China and the Ecological Environment Code of the People's Republic of China, alongside practice- and research-oriented works such as Legislators Explaining the Law: Li Yuan's Reports on Legal Interpretation and On Record Review and Constitutional Review. Its authors include Li Yuan, Qin Qianhong, the General Office of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress and editorial teams. The press emphasizes accuracy in legal texts and the organization of practical people's congress materials, while also serving public legal education.

版权信息
关山孤月
内容简介
引子
第一章西极疮痍
第二章龙兴景云
第三章天女散花
第四章风露娟娟
第五章关山孤月
附录一唐代年号表
附录二吐蕃赞普世系
附录三回鹘可汗世系
附录四唐十道图
附录五敦煌文书
附录六沙州都督府图经残卷
附录七摩尼教文献
碧海青天
内容简介
第一章浮云来去
第二章倚楼人独
第三章苒苒魂惊
第四章梅花几落
第五章碧海青天
尾声
附录西晋索靖流传至今唯一墨迹《出师颂》
后记——万里归心对月明

FAQ

Is this book a historical novel or an academic work?

Judging from the material, it narrates the historical situation after the An Lushan Rebellion when Dunhuang fell to the Tibetans and the people hoped to return to Tang rule. It has the characteristics of historical narrative and is not an academic monograph focused on cave art or archaeological verification; it can be approached as a historical reader.

What historical background should I know first?

It is best to first know that after the An Lushan Rebellion the Tang empire declined from prosperity, the Tibetans took advantage of the situation to occupy the Western Regions, Hexi, and Longyou, the Silk Road was thereby severed, and Hehuang became a hidden pain of the empire. With this framework, the situation of Dunhuang as a Han Chinese settlement and the mindset of the people in the book are easier to understand.

Does the book discuss Dunhuang cave art?

According to the available material, the book focuses on the historical situation of Dunhuang under Tibetan occupation after the An Lushan Rebellion, the people's identity, and the brewing of resistance against tyrannical rule; it does not indicate that cave art or murals are the main content. If you want to learn about cave art, you need to find relevant monographs separately.

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About the author

Wu Wei Author · Chinese

Wu Wei is a contemporary Chinese writer. A woman whose ancestral home is Hubei, she graduated from Beijing Institute of Technology and once worked in the IT industry before turning to writing. Fond of literature and history, she describes herself as "making a living among old papers," and her works are largely drawn from ancient Chinese history and celebrated legal cases, spanning documentary literature, biography, historical reading, and social fiction; 33 of her works are held in the collection. She has created series such as "Explorations of Great Cases in Ancient China" and "Great Histories of the Han, Tang, Song, and Ming," with representative works including An Cang Sha Ji, Snow Fills the Bow (Parts 1 and 2), Xuanji Tu, Yuchang Sword, The Ganlu Incident (Parts 1 and 2), and Bao Qingtian. She has also participated in the screenwriting of several television dramas. Her writing emphasizes the organization of historical sources and the development of plot, blending suspense and detective elements into popular historical narrative. Because public information is limited, details of her life remain unclear.