Hace 2000 años, la antigua fortaleza desértica china de Dun Huang controla el acceso del Imperio Han a la lucrativa Ruta de la Seda, una ruta comercial que se extiende desde China hasta Roma. Las poderosas tribus nómadas Xiongnu amenazan este comercio, y el astuto general Han Ban Chao debe utilizar toda su sabiduría y experiencia para derrotar tanto al rey Shanshan como al poderoso Imperio Kushan.
Tras la caída de la dinastía Han, Dun Huang vuelve a ser inestable y los mercaderes extranjeros son asaltados con regularidad. El Emperador envía a Cang Ci, un veterano funcionario, para restablecer el orden. Para desenmascarar a los criminales ocultos en la ciudad, establece una alianza con un astuto comerciante sogdiano, Shayne.
Tras la caída de la dinastía Han, Dun Huang vuelve a ser inestable y los mercaderes extranjeros son asaltados con regularidad. El Emperador envía a Cang Ci, un veterano funcionario, para restablecer el orden. Para desenmascarar a los criminales ocultos en la ciudad, establece una alianza con un astuto comerciante sogdiano, Shayne.
Category
😹
FunTranscript
00:00:00In the year 1900, in the caves of Mogao, near Dunhuang, in western China,
00:00:08a Taoist monk makes a great archaeological discovery.
00:00:12In a sealed cave he finds tens of thousands of ancient manuscripts,
00:00:18full of stories not told about heroic warriors,
00:00:24mysterious travelers, and legendary kings and rulers.
00:00:31This was an incredible amount of unprecedented material
00:00:36that was discovered, and that basically revolutionized the history of Chinese history.
00:00:44The scholars have discovered that the oasis of Dunhuang in the desert
00:00:48flourished until it became an important landmark.
00:00:52Those who dominated the western region
00:00:55had under their control an enormous wealth and power.
00:01:01And that Dunhuang took advantage of its position in the ancient Silk Road,
00:01:05a network of trade routes that extended from China to Rome,
00:01:09to become a thriving metropolis,
00:01:12enriched by its incredible diversity of cultures, languages and cults.
00:01:17But who were the protagonists of Dunhuang's turbulent history?
00:01:22From a general with great aspirations beyond his borders...
00:01:27It is during the Han Dynasty when China and Rome for the first time
00:01:31are aware of their mutual existence.
00:01:34...and a sagacious ruler who uses his foreign allies to fight corruption.
00:01:39In this period, the arrival of the Octavian merchants to China takes place,
00:01:44who will exert a great influence in the following centuries.
00:01:48Even a fearsome tribal leader who tries to take advantage of the division of China.
00:01:54The empire has to crumble and reunite.
00:01:57It is a pattern that is repeated in the history of China.
00:02:01The fate of Dunhuang, with powerful enemies in Alza, hangs by a thread.
00:02:12Dunhuang, the ancient fortress on the border, the shining lighthouse.
00:02:19At the border of the Taklamakan desert, one of the most inhospitable in the world,
00:02:24is the oasis of Dunhuang.
00:02:27Today it is a destination for tourists who come to take refuge in the desert,
00:02:32in the shade of the sand dunes and in the waters of the Half Moon Lake.
00:02:38But in ancient times, Dunhuang was much more than a place of refuge.
00:02:43It was the border of the world.
00:02:49The Dunhuang region was founded in 111 BC by Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty,
00:02:56with a garrison to protect the border.
00:02:59When they were attacked, fire alarms were lit, hence its name, Dunhuang,
00:03:04shining lighthouse.
00:03:07Dunhuang was on the very edge of China.
00:03:11It was where the merchants passed from China to the Western world.
00:03:16And it was a military area, guarded by Chinese soldiers.
00:03:20From there, they were several weeks' march to the capital.
00:03:27The location of Dunhuang has been carefully chosen.
00:03:30Two thousand kilometers from the capital of the Han Empire, Luoyang,
00:03:34protects the mouth of the Gesi Corridor and keeps the invaders at bay.
00:03:40From Dunhuang, commercial routes that extend around the world,
00:03:44bordering the Taklamakan desert,
00:03:47saving the Pamir mountain range,
00:03:49and crossing the Wusang and Barto Empires,
00:03:52until reaching Rome.
00:03:56Over time, these ancient commercial routes
00:03:59were named Silk Road,
00:04:01and on their way, various goods and ideas
00:04:04that came from far away could be exchanged.
00:04:09Many people think that the Silk Road
00:04:12was only three ways from East to West.
00:04:16But they are very wrong.
00:04:18In reality, it was an extensive and complex network
00:04:22that covered everything.
00:04:27The trade and taxes of the Silk Road
00:04:30generate immense profits,
00:04:32strengthen power, and tighten bonds.
00:04:36The greatest treasures in the world
00:04:38are bought and sold in Dunhuang.
00:04:40Leather, glass, silk, and spices.
00:04:45Over time, the fortress of the desert
00:04:47becomes a crystal of cultures, religions, and ethnicities.
00:04:52However, at the end of the first century AD,
00:04:55the Dunhuang region has become more and more unstable.
00:05:00People are constantly afraid of being attacked.
00:05:05The land of the Wusang is a sacred place,
00:05:07and the Wusang people have been sending their people
00:05:10to this sacred place,
00:05:12the Dunhuang.
00:05:16The territory of the Wusang has been given to the Wusang
00:05:20and is now a part of the Qing dynasty.
00:05:25The Wusang have been a great support
00:05:27of the Qing dynasty,
00:05:29with the help of the Qing dynasty's military and military forces.
00:05:34The Xiongnu tribes in the north and south of the Tarim Basin
00:05:38forge alliances with several state cities.
00:05:41These alliances are a danger to the Han Chinese.
00:05:45Only Dunhuang can prevent the peoples of the Mongolia plateau
00:05:50and the Tibetan mountains from uniting to block the Silk Road.
00:05:55The Xiongnu represented such a great threat
00:05:58that the Han built a wall between the two tribes
00:06:01to keep them apart, the Great Wall.
00:06:08But in this immense desert,
00:06:10not even the Great Wall is enough to contain the Xiongnu,
00:06:14who already control part of the Silk Road
00:06:17and threaten to invade the central region.
00:06:24In the year 73 AD, Emperor Min decides that it is necessary
00:06:29to send a new military force to Dunhuang.
00:06:32His success will depend on the least thought-out man.
00:06:36His name is Ban Chao.
00:06:40Like his father, Ban Chao is a historian of the court
00:06:43and is dedicated to documenting the present
00:06:45and disseminating millenary knowledge.
00:06:48But Ban Chao longs to change the pen for the sword.
00:06:53The spirit of the warrior marked life in the days of Ban Chao.
00:06:58The same public officials wore swords.
00:07:02Everyone dreamed of going to war for the honor it represented.
00:07:12And finally, the time has come.
00:07:15The emperor needs men to fight in the Western Front.
00:07:19Ban Chao is ready as an official,
00:07:21and soon he will be recognized as a man of valor,
00:07:24capable of forging his own destiny.
00:07:30When the Ham government offered him more troops,
00:07:33he replied,
00:07:34many men would be a nuisance, 36 would be enough.
00:07:41Each of his 36 men is personally chosen.
00:07:46The soldiers he trusts the most are Lieutenant Gan Jin
00:07:50and his good friend, De Hu.
00:07:59Ban Chao knows that defending the Chinese border won't be enough.
00:08:03He must try to control it.
00:08:06If Dujuan falls,
00:08:08on a small scale, it means that the Hexi Corridor will fall.
00:08:12And on a large scale,
00:08:14it means that the West and the Central Plain will be separated.
00:08:19The future of the Han Empire is at stake.
00:08:22But the Western Territory is immense.
00:08:25It would take a long time to conquer it.
00:08:28It would take a long time to conquer it.
00:08:31It would take a long time to conquer it.
00:08:34It would take a long time to conquer it.
00:08:37Ban Chao uses diplomacy to get stronger.
00:08:40Ban Chao uses diplomacy to get stronger.
00:08:43His risky plan requires the cunning of a fox
00:08:46and the intuition of a player.
00:08:50Ban Chao's First Step
00:08:55Ban Chao's First Step
00:09:00Ban Chao's First Step
00:09:03Ban Chao's First Step
00:09:05The first thing Ban Chao does is meet the powerful King Guan in Shanshan.
00:09:10The first thing Ban Chao does is meet the powerful King Guan in Shanshan.
00:09:13Drink, eat!
00:09:15Today we welcome the emissary of the Han Empire.
00:09:18Cheers!
00:09:20The kingdom of Sansan has a strategic position on the Silk Road, west of the region of Gesi and Dunhuang.
00:09:28Masters of commerce, the Sansan deal with both the Xiongnu and the Han.
00:09:35And Ban Chao knows that they change their ally faster than the wind of the desert.
00:09:43It could be a trap.
00:09:47Only the one who enters the tiger's den can catch his puppies.
00:09:57Long life and health to the distinguished emissary.
00:10:03Thank you, Majesty, for your hospitality.
00:10:12Ha ha ha!
00:10:43Ban Chao's suspicions will soon be confirmed.
00:10:48While the king is attending to his guests,
00:10:51there are Xiongnu warriors ready to attack.
00:10:55They have come to kill Ban Chao.
00:10:59But the cunning general has a surprise.
00:11:03Ha ha ha!
00:11:06His men come out of the darkness like ghosts at night.
00:11:37There is no man left alive.
00:11:57Take what you like as a gift and as a present, great ambassador.
00:12:04Thank you, Mr. Wang, but first accept my gift.
00:12:09Guards! Guards!
00:12:15Ban Chao's risky strategy has worked.
00:12:19King Wang swears absolute loyalty to the Han.
00:12:34The news of Ban Chao's victory over the king of Shanshan and his allies, Xiongnu,
00:12:39spreads rapidly along the Silk Road.
00:12:44Ban Chao's triumph in Shanshan
00:12:48automatically changed the image of the Han in the western region
00:12:53and marked a milestone for his subsequent relations with the entire region.
00:12:59Ban Chao's success confirmed his position in the eyes of the emperor.
00:13:04The humble historian became one of the highest-ranking generals on the western border.
00:13:14In the following decade, Ban Chao forged alliances with numerous tribes and states,
00:13:19from the desert to the distant mountains of the west.
00:13:25However, beyond the limits of the snow,
00:13:28another threat, even greater, was looming.
00:13:31The Kusan.
00:13:35The Kusan Empire stretches over 3 million square kilometers.
00:13:40It has 10 million subjects and an army of 200,000 men.
00:13:45The Kusan control one of the most important sections of the Silk Road
00:13:50and plans to conquer the entire western region.
00:13:56King Bheema Kadsises, of the Kusan Empire,
00:13:59considered himself at the level of the emperor of Rome.
00:14:02In fact, he even used the title of Caesar.
00:14:05The Caesar of Kusan has seen how the Han consolidated their power in the western region.
00:14:10But Ban Chao is an incognito and makes him nervous.
00:14:14That is why he sends his ambassadors to offer a marriage of political convenience.
00:14:20The Han despised the Kusan,
00:14:22and their logic to forge marriage of convenience was
00:14:25either I am weaker than you and I cannot touch you,
00:14:28or you submit, I offer you a political marriage and we are allies.
00:14:36The Kusan represent a danger to the security of the Han
00:14:40and to the valuable supply of jade that arrives in China by the Silk Road.
00:14:46The Chinese did not call it the Silk Road,
00:14:49that was a European invention of the 19th century.
00:14:52If they had given it a name, it would be the Jade Road,
00:14:55because it was where the jade of Jotan arrived in China.
00:15:00Today, one of the oldest doors of the Great Wall of China
00:15:03is still preserved at the border of the Dunhuang region.
00:15:07For centuries, most of the jade that entered China passed through here.
00:15:12Hence its name, the door of jade.
00:15:17For Ban Chao, the door of jade marks the limit of the Han border.
00:15:23He must carefully consider the proposal of the Kusan ambassador.
00:15:27The future of the Han Empire depends on his decision.
00:15:38Finally, he decides to reject peace.
00:15:41He will go to war,
00:15:43although he knows that this means facing the greatest adversities.
00:15:55The Kusan send an army of 70,000 men to conquer the Eastern Han Empire,
00:16:00led by one of their best warriors, General Xie.
00:16:05Ban Chao must defend the central region,
00:16:08but he only has a few thousand men.
00:16:11Even his most loyal lieutenants fear that this time,
00:16:15the great general has bitten more than he can chew.
00:16:20If they want war, we will give them war.
00:16:24How can we defeat them? There are tens of thousands of men.
00:16:28I have an even more powerful army.
00:16:33When it was founded, Dunhuang was an indomitable border,
00:16:37a place where very few would voluntarily go to live.
00:16:42When the Han initially established their migratory policy,
00:16:46the idea was to move degraded ex-convicts and officers,
00:16:50along with their families, from the central plain to the Hexi Corridor.
00:16:56In the year 90 AD, many of Dunhuang's 40,000 inhabitants are merchants.
00:17:02But there also live soldiers and ex-convicts who try to make a living.
00:17:08And it is to them that Ban Chao goes.
00:17:14They don't look like soldiers.
00:17:19Look.
00:17:22You.
00:17:29You.
00:17:33Kill him.
00:17:53Enough!
00:17:55Appearances can deceive.
00:18:08While Ban Chao recruits his defense squadron,
00:18:11the army of 70,000 Kusan soldiers continues their advance towards Dunhuang.
00:18:24One!
00:18:26Two!
00:18:28Three!
00:18:30Four!
00:18:32Ban Chao's small squadron doesn't seem to be able to do anything
00:18:36against the formidable Kusan army.
00:18:40But Ban Chao and Gan Jin will compensate for their disadvantage with training and cunning.
00:18:47They had to cross great mountains.
00:18:50They marched through the desert.
00:18:52They have traveled thousands of kilometers.
00:18:55Such a large army must be exhausted and almost without food,
00:18:59having come so far.
00:19:01There is no need to defeat them.
00:19:04Their recklessness will do the work for us.
00:19:10The Kusan army has crossed the Pamir mountain range at an altitude of 4,000 meters
00:19:15and they notice the wear and tear.
00:19:23But the Kusan army is still 20 times stronger than Ban Chao's.
00:19:29They must find a way to equalize the odds.
00:19:34Buzhen.
00:19:36You must lay an ambush for them,
00:19:38cutting their supplies.
00:19:41As the general assumed,
00:19:43the Kusan are running out of water and food.
00:19:46General Xie sends a unit to get supplies from a local ally.
00:19:51When they cross the mountain pass,
00:19:53Ban Chao's warriors are ready.
00:20:17BAN CHAO'S LAND
00:20:35Although the forces that rise against him are powerful,
00:20:39Ban Chao knows that the time has come.
00:20:47BAN CHAO'S LAND
00:20:53Now!
00:21:03The Kusan army is isolated from their support.
00:21:07There is no escape for the Han.
00:21:16BAN CHAO'S LAND
00:21:34Elbow to elbow, Ban Chao fights alongside his men until the end.
00:21:47BAN CHAO'S LAND
00:21:51The Han Empire and its army were more coordinated and more engaged in battle.
00:21:56The number advantage of the enemy was irrelevant.
00:22:02The military machinery of the Han was one of the most advanced of the time.
00:22:08Their forces must have been very powerful.
00:22:12BAN CHAO'S LAND
00:22:16For Ban Chao, that battle was the fate of a nation.
00:22:20BAN CHAO'S LAND
00:22:38After the victory, Ban Chao makes an unusual decision.
00:22:44I forgive you for the life, for the grace of my emperor.
00:22:49March!
00:22:53Sir.
00:22:59By allowing him to keep his head, we have gained a powerful and grateful ally.
00:23:05Isn't that more valuable?
00:23:13BAN CHAO'S LAND
00:23:18In the year 93 AD, after 20 years of forging political alliances and reinforcing the border,
00:23:25Ban Chao has achieved peace in the entire western region.
00:23:31The great general has combined the lessons of history with his vision of the future
00:23:36to build the solid foundations of the future prosperity of the Silk Road.
00:23:43Dunhuang is safe.
00:23:46Within its walls, the city has become a paradise of security and wealth
00:23:51for the merchants who come from the furthest corners of the world.
00:23:57In ancient times, those who dominated the western region
00:24:01had under their control an enormous wealth and power.
00:24:07But their aspirations do not end there.
00:24:10In the year 97 AD, Ban Chao entrusts to his trusted man
00:24:14the mission of traveling as far as he can to the west.
00:24:18Come back alive.
00:24:23Ban Chao's mission was to cross the four empires of the Silk Road
00:24:27and continue as far as he could.
00:24:30This 8,000 km expedition was then as difficult as traveling to the moon today.
00:24:37In his epic mission, Ban Chao reaches the Persian Gulf and the Mediterranean Sea.
00:24:43He was the first member of the Han people
00:24:45who was aware of his arrival at the borders of the Roman Empire.
00:24:50Having fulfilled his mission, Ban Chao returns to China
00:24:53with important knowledge about other cultures of the world.
00:25:01It was during the Han dynasty
00:25:03that China and Rome for the first time became aware of their mutual existence.
00:25:09The epic journey of Ganymede gives faith to the vision of China that Ban Chao had,
00:25:14an empire at the borders, connected to the world.
00:25:20In the coming years, Dunhuang will flourish and become a shining beacon.
00:25:27People of many cultures and religions come to this remote place
00:25:31making it an important center of world trade.
00:25:39But the development of Dunhuang will not always be peaceful.
00:25:44The turbulent period of the Three Kingdoms shines on the horizon.
00:25:57From the victory of Ban Chao against the Xiongnu in 90 AD,
00:26:02Dunhuang is a key strategic position.
00:26:06Its trade routes extend to Rome, where it is said that Chinese silk is worth its weight in gold.
00:26:12It is a great center of world trade.
00:26:16But throughout the following century, China returns to a period of great turbulence.
00:26:22Chieftains and kingdoms fight for power in one of the most violent moments in the history of China.
00:26:30It is the period of the Three Kingdoms, Wei, Shu and Wu.
00:26:36In their struggle for supremacy, the Wei gain more power over the vast western region,
00:26:41although they do not have absolute dominion.
00:26:45It has been 100 years since the times of Ban Chao,
00:26:49and Dunhuang has become a dangerous place.
00:26:53The wealth and power generated by the trade of the Silk Road have brought rot.
00:26:59Many leaders have become cruel and corrupt,
00:27:02and the plain people are the ones who suffer the worst consequences.
00:27:08Emperor Shaohui sends another governor to the city.
00:27:14Shanxi has a very special mission.
00:27:17He must find out what is not working in Dunhuang and find a solution.
00:27:22Shanxi is approaching the end of his career and should prepare for his retirement.
00:27:27Instead, he will have to face his most difficult challenge in Dunhuang.
00:27:32Sir!
00:27:34A help, please!
00:27:37A help!
00:27:38Step aside!
00:27:39Back!
00:27:44Shanxi recognizes that the situation is much worse than he had imagined.
00:27:50When Shanxi arrived in Dunhuang,
00:27:52the civilizations of the East and West were in full decline.
00:27:55Dunhuang is just one of the few cities left.
00:27:58Before Shanxi arrived, the governor had been gone for 20 years,
00:28:01which indicates that the central government's control over the West was totally insufficient.
00:28:17The region's lack of governance has serious consequences.
00:28:21Gangs of thieves assault imported goods,
00:28:25These attacks undermine trade security.
00:28:32The future of Dunhuang and China's access to the Silk Road are in danger,
00:28:37unless Shanxi manages to find a solution.
00:28:43While he analyzes his options,
00:28:45a group of merchants approaches Dunhuang.
00:28:49The leader of this caravan is Shen,
00:28:51from the merchant's clan, Nanna Bandag.
00:28:55Shen and his group are Sogdians,
00:28:57an ancient Iranian people who dominated the trade of the Silk Road.
00:29:03The Sogdians have taken advantage of the turbulence of the Silk Road
00:29:06and have taken over the Silk Road.
00:29:09The Sogdians have taken over the Silk Road,
00:29:11and the Sogdians have taken over the Silk Road.
00:29:15The Sogdians have taken advantage of the turbulence in the Roman Empire,
00:29:19the Kushan, and the Eastern Han,
00:29:21to create a vast trade network throughout Eurasia.
00:29:25To reach Dunhuang, Shen has traveled 3,000 kilometers
00:29:29from his distant capital, Samarkand.
00:29:34In this period, the arrival of the Sogdian merchants to China takes place,
00:29:39who will have a great influence in the following centuries.
00:29:44Knowledgeable in many languages,
00:29:46the Sogdians connect the world by bringing goods, knowledge,
00:29:50science, and culture to great distances.
00:29:54Apparently, they were great merchants.
00:29:56They were all born with a gift to enchant,
00:29:59and they sold everything to everyone.
00:30:02Undoubtedly, they dominated the trade of the Silk Road
00:30:05from the 3rd century to the 8th.
00:30:10Shen, a skilled and very competent woman,
00:30:13has led her caravan through the hardest regions of the world.
00:30:19For her, the risks are the usual gauges of trade.
00:30:23But the attacks are increasing,
00:30:25and as she approaches Dunhuang, she knows that the danger is greater.
00:30:33With a certain relief, Shen and his caravan
00:30:36finally enter Dunhuang.
00:30:39They arrive only a month after Shanxi.
00:30:44Please.
00:30:48As is customary in the Sogdian religion of Zoroastrianism,
00:30:51it is time to thank God.
00:30:59In the name of Aura Mazda,
00:31:01giver of all good, of spirit, of wisdom,
00:31:04creator of animals and cereals,
00:31:07creator of heaven and earth,
00:31:10and of all good things.
00:31:14But their prayers receive an unexpected response.
00:31:35For Shen, it is a catastrophe.
00:31:38The thieves have not only stolen his merchandise,
00:31:41but also his precious amulet.
00:31:48Immediately, the voice is heard,
00:31:50and the news of the assault does not take long to be heard.
00:31:55The people of Dunhuang are in a state of panic.
00:32:00Immediately, the voice is heard,
00:32:02and the news of the assault does not take long to be heard.
00:32:06The head of the Sogdian community of Dunhuang.
00:32:09Shabao, they have assaulted the merchants.
00:32:13Let's go.
00:32:15The last attacks have caused tensions
00:32:17between the Sogdians and the rulers of the city.
00:32:21Shabao is pressured,
00:32:23and decides to invite Shanxi to meet him
00:32:26at the inn where Shen was attacked.
00:32:32Did you see the assailants?
00:32:34No.
00:32:36I didn't see anything.
00:32:38It's unacceptable.
00:32:43Another assault.
00:32:47And this time inside the city's shutters.
00:32:51I'll get to the bottom of this.
00:32:57DUNHUANG
00:33:07Shanxi may be the city's highest authority,
00:33:10but he is a foreigner in Dunhuang,
00:33:12and that makes his power limited.
00:33:16Instead, the commander leads the city's security forces,
00:33:20and is a powerful leader of Dunhuang.
00:33:23Shanxi must ask for advice.
00:33:27Commander,
00:33:28can we offer military escort?
00:33:32With all due respect, sir,
00:33:34my resources are limited.
00:33:36I see.
00:33:37Well,
00:33:39we'll have to do something.
00:33:44When you take possession of your position,
00:33:46you will be responsible for finding a solution.
00:33:51I guarantee you that I will.
00:33:56In the desert, justice is always imparted locally.
00:34:01The dangers that Shanxi faces in his new position,
00:34:04far from his emperor,
00:34:06are beginning to become evident.
00:34:09Why did the previous governor abandon his position?
00:34:13He had an accident, sir.
00:34:15The kind that doesn't wake you up.
00:34:26To successfully exercise his new position,
00:34:28Shanxi must learn how to move
00:34:30among the people's ethnic and economic interests.
00:34:36In secret, he investigates the most powerful lords of Dunhuang.
00:34:41Sir,
00:34:44it turns out that the commander's great-grandfather
00:34:47was one of the 36 warriors of General Banqiao.
00:34:57A century earlier,
00:34:59when the western region was settling,
00:35:02Banqiao had rewarded his most loyal followers
00:35:05with lands and titles.
00:35:08They dominated the land with effort
00:35:10until they obtained fertile and valuable land.
00:35:13And over time, their descendants prospered
00:35:16and became rich.
00:35:18In the time of Shanxi,
00:35:20these families formed the high class of Dunhuang.
00:35:26But these gentlemen have forgotten
00:35:28the idealism of their ancestors.
00:35:30Governors in public, kings in private,
00:35:33they take everything they want
00:35:35while the poor suffer.
00:35:38On your knees!
00:35:41Bow your heads!
00:35:44Without a government,
00:35:46local clans proliferate and acquire a lot of power.
00:35:49They have an army, food, wealth,
00:35:53property and population.
00:35:55It is not a small thing.
00:35:58In the year 227 AD,
00:36:01Shanxi takes possession of his position
00:36:03as governor of the Dunhuang region.
00:36:07It is an honor
00:36:09that the emperor has sent
00:36:11one of his oldest officials.
00:36:15I sincerely hope that the governor
00:36:17can take over the charge
00:36:19of directing the future of Dunhuang.
00:36:23Congratulations to the governor!
00:36:28This should be the moment
00:36:30when Shanxi can finally claim its authority.
00:36:33But the commander has another idea in mind.
00:36:37Commander!
00:36:39What's up?
00:36:45Commander, you were right.
00:36:47He confessed. He's the thief.
00:36:50Shen, is this one of the thieves?
00:37:05I don't know how to say it.
00:37:07They had their faces covered.
00:37:09It doesn't matter.
00:37:11He confessed.
00:37:13Take him away.
00:37:16Our governor will execute him.
00:37:20Move!
00:37:30Years of experience have refined
00:37:32the intuition of Shanxi,
00:37:34who is able to discern
00:37:36the true character of people.
00:37:38Lushuan, that man is innocent.
00:37:45Sir, you don't have an army.
00:37:48Despite your title,
00:37:50you don't have power.
00:37:53If the commander says he's guilty,
00:37:55he has to be.
00:37:57But the new governor is not convinced
00:38:00and goes to the terrible prison of Dunhuang
00:38:03to meet the version of Sun Yon.
00:38:07Bring Sun Yon to me.
00:38:16And again, the commander has other plans.
00:38:21In my humble opinion, many only...
00:38:26deserve a sentence.
00:38:29Death.
00:38:32Governor, please.
00:38:46Death.
00:38:54Have a good day.
00:39:09Apparently, the new governor
00:39:12has not made Dunhuang a safer place.
00:39:16Shanxi and its merchants
00:39:18form the caravan again
00:39:20and embark on the 3,000-kilometer journey
00:39:23back to Samarkand.
00:39:25But with so many losses,
00:39:27Shanxi's family business
00:39:29could never recover.
00:39:38The new governor
00:39:40looks like a puppet.
00:39:43Step aside.
00:39:45The royal power resides in the army,
00:39:48the commander and his henchmen.
00:39:52But nothing is what it seems.
00:39:56Shanxi has not really gone.
00:40:00His departure is a trick
00:40:02that is part of Shanxi's elaborate plan
00:40:05to catch his prey.
00:40:11Stop!
00:40:28Shanxi's plan began months earlier
00:40:31with a letter sent to Shain
00:40:33asking him for help
00:40:35to unmask his enemy.
00:40:38I need your help
00:40:40to successfully complete my mission.
00:40:42His Majesty has entrusted me
00:40:44with the responsibility of governing Dunhuang,
00:40:47and Dunhuang needs your help.
00:40:49I have spread the rumor
00:40:51that your caravan carries valuable items.
00:40:54That will tempt the bandits to attack it.
00:40:57Then I will make them follow you in secret
00:40:59and maybe that way I will be able
00:41:01to bring them to light.
00:41:03From the moment Shain left Dunhuang,
00:41:06Shanxi ordered a loyal beggar
00:41:08to follow his caravan.
00:41:13Shain and Shanxi knew what would happen
00:41:16and after the attack
00:41:18they followed the bandits to their hideout.
00:41:24At last,
00:41:26the band of thieves from Dunhuang was discovered.
00:41:37Shanxi knew that the trap he was going to set
00:41:40required meticulous preparation.
00:41:42With Sun Yong,
00:41:44he has set free many prisoners,
00:41:46all innocent of the charges against him.
00:41:49After receiving instruction in secret,
00:41:51these men now form a loyal guard
00:41:53for the governor.
00:41:57Shanxi is now ready to attack.
00:42:02His enemies had labeled him
00:42:04as old and weak,
00:42:06but age and wisdom
00:42:08are a powerful combination.
00:42:35At last, security reigns in Dunhuang
00:42:38and Shanxi is about to regain
00:42:40the trust of the people.
00:42:47Shanxi helped the traders
00:42:49on the Silk Road a lot.
00:42:51He was a very good trader.
00:42:53He was a very good trader.
00:42:55He was a very good trader.
00:42:57He was a very good trader.
00:42:59He was a very good trader.
00:43:01He was a very good trader.
00:43:03When he entered the Silk Road,
00:43:05he was very caring with local clans.
00:43:07He guaranteed the traders
00:43:09a fair deal and a decent security,
00:43:11giving them escorts.
00:43:13He was also handing in recommendation letters
00:43:15that made it easier
00:43:17to purchase goods.
00:43:19These letters, called Wosuo,
00:43:21were equivalent to the current passport.
00:43:28The wise ruler is now concerned
00:43:30with one of the greatest problems
00:43:32of the time. But, sir, the land belongs to me. You choose. Either you pay the taxes,
00:43:44or you give the land. In the period of the Three Kingdoms, the land of cultivation was
00:43:52abandoned due to the lack of field workers. Freeing the population from the feudal system
00:43:57and forcing the landowners to pay taxes were priority issues for the local governors.
00:44:07Shanxi draws up a plan to promote unity and understanding among the different ethnic groups
00:44:13of Dunhuang, and makes the population of the city grow by promoting intercultural marriage.
00:44:29In just a few years, Dunhuang goes from being a dangerous and anarchic locality to a thriving
00:44:36commercial city, with multiple cultures, languages, and new ideas. The door of China to the world.
00:44:54Shanxi ruled Dunhuang until his death in the mid-2030s. During his brief term, he became
00:45:01the most famous governor in the history of the city. Under his inspiring government,
00:45:06Dunhuang is a paradise in a time full of turbulence, a lighthouse in the middle of the Silk Road.
00:45:12At his funeral, people of all conditions and all cultures attend. Following the tradition,
00:45:20the Octavians make cuts on the face as a sign of respect for the great man.
00:45:37Shanxi leaves Dunhuang shining like a pearl in a sea of sand.
00:45:49But dark days are approaching. The fury of the caudillo Lu Shui Hu will bring down the
00:45:56weight of revenge on Dunhuang. A legendary king arrives.
00:46:11It is the year 417 AD. Two centuries have passed since the time of Shanxi. The region of Dunhuang
00:46:19and the entire western region are plunged into chaos and division. Violence spreads like a plague.
00:46:27People live in fear. China is not the only part of the world plagued by ungovernment
00:46:36at the beginning of the 5th century. In the West, the war has torn apart the former powerful Roman Empire.
00:46:42In the East, although the three kingdoms were unified by the Jin,
00:46:47opposing tribes fight in the northern and western regions, and the Jin dynasty has fallen apart.
00:46:54It is the period of the 16 kingdoms.
00:47:01This is another period of disunion. China is divided into increasingly smaller kingdoms
00:47:06that fight each other. The empire has to crumble. And when it has fallen, it must fall apart.
00:47:14It is a pattern that repeats throughout the history of China.
00:47:21In the period of the 16 kingdoms, five powerful nomadic tribes come to dominate the western region.
00:47:28They are Shanbei, Di, Ye, Xian, and Xiongnu. Their names will resonate in history.
00:47:36From a branch of the Xiongnu people, a king stands out among all the others. His name is Yuchu Menshu.
00:47:58Yuchu is not an ordinary leader. He is as capable of shedding blood and sowing terror as he is of being merciful and wise.
00:48:18He had the wild nature of a nomad, but also an intense influence of Chinese culture.
00:48:26The book of Jin describes Yuchu Menshu as ingenious, versed in history, and exceptionally gifted in astronomy.
00:48:36Menshu has his eyes set on the ultimate trophy, Dunhuang.
00:48:43If he succeeds in controlling the city of the desert, he will have the resources he needs to dominate the entire region.
00:48:52Despite the wars in the central plain, Dunhuang continues to prosper.
00:48:58The city is overflowing with people fleeing the conflict.
00:49:02Here, people from the western region, the Hexi region, and the central plain live in harmony.
00:49:11The control of Dunhuang allows access to the wealth of the Silk Road, and for this reason the city becomes the capital of the Western Lian Dynasty.
00:49:23The Duke Li Hao, the highest authority of the Western Lian, has protected Dunhuang and the Silk Road for 17 years, but has fallen ill.
00:49:35And there can be no more.
00:49:41During the long reign of the Duke, the Western Lian and the Central Lian have been at war.
00:49:47None of the sides has won.
00:49:50Yuchu Menshu now dominates more than half of the Hexi Corridor, and is one of the most powerful and fearsome rulers in the region.
00:50:00Until now, the forces of the Western Lian, led by the Duke Li Hao, had managed to resist King Xiong.
00:50:10But the Duke is dying, and his son, Li Xin, must rise to protect his people and his kingdom.
00:50:17Father.
00:50:19My son.
00:50:21I leave my kingdom in your hands.
00:50:25You must defend my empire from the barbarians.
00:50:30You must be careful.
00:50:35Do not worry.
00:50:37I am better than all the barbarians.
00:50:41They will be destroyed.
00:50:44The Duke is dead!
00:50:47With the death of Li Hao in 417, the fate of Dunhuang rests on the shoulders of a new generation.
00:50:55Will the new Duke and his army be able to defeat Menshu?
00:51:00Or will King Xiong Nu end up conquering Dunhuang?
00:51:05In the year 1900, in the caves of Mogao, near Dunhuang, in western China,
00:51:11a Taoist monk and a monk of the same name, Li Xin,
00:51:17went to the caves of Mogao, near Dunhuang, in order to find a way out of the caves.
00:51:25In the year 1900, in the caves of Mogao, near Dunhuang, in western China,
00:51:31a Taoist monk made one of the greatest archaeological discoveries of all time.
00:51:38In a sealed cave he found tens of thousands of ancient manuscripts,
00:51:43full of stories not told about heroic warriors,
00:51:49mysterious travelers, and legendary kings and rulers.
00:51:57The vast amount of totally unprecedented material that was discovered there
00:52:04revolutionized the study of the history of China.
00:52:10The scholars have discovered that the Dunhuang oasis in the desert
00:52:15flourished until it became an essential hub of the ancient Silk Road,
00:52:20with an amazing diversity of cultures, languages, and cults,
00:52:24and that it became an important center of Buddhism,
00:52:27where spectacular works of art were produced until they declined,
00:52:32and their history was buried in the desert for hundreds of years.
00:52:39But who led the turbulent history of Dunhuang?
00:52:45From a fearsome tribal leader who tried to take advantage of the division of China?
00:52:50The empire has to fall apart and reunite.
00:52:54It is a pattern that is repeated throughout the history of China.
00:52:57And an ambitious courtesan with her eyes set on the greatest trophy of all?
00:53:02There were no precedents for a woman like Wu Shetian.
00:53:05No one like her had existed in the past or would exist in the future.
00:53:09Even a Buddhist monk has decided to leave a legacy.
00:53:13The diversity of materials that we find in the library is unique in the world.
00:53:17There is nothing like it.
00:53:19But what do the new investigations tell us about the controversial expiry of the treasures of Dunhuang?
00:53:25Stein swindled Wang, acquiring those valuable objects in exchange for almost nothing,
00:53:30and took them to London.
00:53:33Dunhuang, the ancient fortress on the border.
00:53:37Ascent, fall, and rebirth.
00:53:41At the beginning of the 5th century, not only in China prevails the disgovernment.
00:53:46In the West, the war has torn apart the former powerful Roman Empire.
00:53:51In the East, although the three kingdoms had been unified by the Jin,
00:53:56tribes have invaded the northern and western regions,
00:54:00and the Jin dynasty has fallen apart.
00:54:03The turbulent period of the 16 kingdoms begins.
00:54:11Juchu Menshun, the powerful warrior Xiongnu of the Lushuihu tribe,
00:54:16takes advantage of this chaos with his army of Jin,
00:54:19and has his eyes set on Dunhuang, the gateway from China to the world.
00:54:25Until now, the forces of the Western Liang, of the Lihao duke,
00:54:30had managed to resist the king Xiongnu.
00:54:33But in the year 417, the duke dies.
00:54:37His son Lixin must take his place to protect his people and his kingdom.
00:54:42The duke has died!
00:54:49The new duke, impatient to proclaim himself new governor of the Western Liang
00:54:54and worthy successor of the Lihao,
00:54:57goes out to confront Juchu, overflowing with confidence.
00:55:02Lixin thought that the achievements and power of his father were his own.
00:55:07His father defeated Juchu Menshun twice,
00:55:10and he was convinced that he would also succeed.
00:55:13His mother and the ministers advised him not to go to war with the Northern Liang.
00:55:18He knew that the soldiers of the Western Liang
00:55:20had fled, frightened by the military force of the Northern Liang.
00:55:26For three long years, the young duke tried to subdue the Xiongnu.
00:55:31Lixin had to come out victorious to fulfill the promise he made to his father.
00:55:36But over and over again, Juchu Menshun defeated the duke
00:55:40and escaped by imprisoning himself in the desert.
00:55:45In the year 420, the men of Menshun tried another tactic.
00:55:50They challenged Lixin's army to wage a battle in the plains.
00:55:56As his army advanced, Lixin heard the news
00:55:59that Juchu Menshun's army had just conquered a city further west.
00:56:05But in reality, it was a trap invented by Juchu.
00:56:09Lixin fell right into the trap.
00:56:25Charge!
00:56:55Charge!
00:57:25Charge!
00:57:29Charge!
00:57:33Charge!
00:57:38Charge!
00:57:46With the victory, Menshun regained control over Dunhuang
00:57:50and the Silk Road.
00:57:55Menshun sends a governor to Dunhuang,
00:57:58but the local military leaders refuse to accept a Sionnu governor.
00:58:03In less than a year, they reject their delegate,
00:58:06appointing Li Hao's youngest son, Li Shun,
00:58:09in his place, in an attempt to restore the Western Lian.
00:58:16Menshun marches towards Dunhuang with 20,000 men
00:58:19and launches an ultimatum.
00:58:26The letter of Menshun, written in the most courteous Chinese,
00:58:30explains the rise and decline of dynasties throughout history
00:58:34and their inevitable end.
00:58:36Appealing to the common sense of the prince,
00:58:39Menshun tells him that the Hao dynasty is over
00:58:42and that it must go in peace without bloodshed.
00:58:48The letter of Menshun, written in the most courteous Chinese,
00:58:53explains the rise and decline of dynasties throughout history
00:58:56and their inevitable end.
00:58:58How should we respond, sir?
00:59:00The barbarians will never be able to defeat us
00:59:03if we remain within these walls.
00:59:10The official head of state cannot enter his own city.
00:59:14It is the offense that fills the glass for Yuchu
00:59:17and a decisive moment for the future of Dunhuang.
00:59:23In a maneuver that disconcerts everyone,
00:59:26his soldiers surround the city without launching an attack.
00:59:34The cheapest way to besiege a city
00:59:37is to establish a fence around it.
00:59:40However, this requires sufficient logistics
00:59:43and the supply of foodstuffs.
00:59:45Yuchu Menshun does not have them.
00:59:47Perhaps he lacks provisions for his army,
00:59:51but what I'm sure Menshun does not have is patience.
00:59:55He has decided to make Dunhuang kneel before him in a few weeks.
00:59:59What do you think that madman is doing?
01:00:02We have food and supplies for a year.
01:00:17But Yuchu Menshun is not alone.
01:00:21He is preparing to attack.
01:00:24Go ahead.
01:00:34The Dan River will be Menshun's lethal weapon.
01:00:37He has built a canal that diverts the course of the river
01:00:41directly against the walls of Dunhuang.
01:00:51The water, a precious resource essential for life in the desert,
01:00:55will lead to the fall of the city.
01:00:58Menshun had already used the floods in his region before.
01:01:02Dunhuang was on the edge of the Dang River,
01:01:05which represented a tactical advantage.
01:01:09As the foundations move, the walls cannot withstand the pressure.
01:01:14Before the Tang Dynasty,
01:01:16the walls of the cities were built with flat earth.
01:01:20The water can completely dissolve the foundations.
01:01:43After passing the wall, the Xiongnu soldiers invade the city without effort.
01:01:49Dunhuang, the great city of the West, has fallen.
01:02:02Dunhuang has already defied Yuchu Menshun before.
01:02:06He must make sure that it does not happen again.
01:02:09Kill them all!
01:02:12Let the blood of Dunhuang flow!
01:02:19Menshun's army sows chaos.
01:02:22Prince Lishun has no escape.
01:02:36After ten years of war,
01:02:38the great traitor Xiongnu is defeated.
01:02:41The city of Dunhuang is now in the hands of the Tang Dynasty.
01:02:46After ten years of war,
01:02:48the great king Xiongnu sits on the throne of the enemy.
01:02:53At last, Yuchu Menshun fulfills his ambition,
01:02:56the absolute power.
01:03:01Menshun has achieved what many considered impossible.
01:03:05He has pacified the entire western region
01:03:08and established peace on the Silk Road.
01:03:11However, although he has unified the Hexi region,
01:03:16he has not achieved the union of those who follow him.
01:03:19After years of war, the people need hope.
01:03:22The solution will come from far away on the Silk Road itself.
01:03:29From its origins in India,
01:03:31Buddhism began to spread through China in the first century.
01:03:35But it was in the period of the 16 kingdoms
01:03:38when it began to flourish in the Hexi region.
01:03:41Dunhuang is a crystal of cultures, ideas and philosophies.
01:03:46And Buddhist monks also come to the city.
01:03:49They come to transmit their teachings to the inhabitants of the city.
01:03:53One of the most venerable is Dharmaksema of India,
01:03:57known in China as the Abbot Tambushen.
01:04:02Apparently, he was a person with an impressive memory.
01:04:08At the age of 20,
01:04:10he had already memorized several million words of the scriptures.
01:04:14He was also an expert on spells,
01:04:16so he could use these spells to do magic.
01:04:20Juchu Menshun names Tambushen as his advisor.
01:04:24He thinks that being a monk who has come from the cradle of Buddhism,
01:04:28he will be a powerful symbol that will help him to win the trust of the people.
01:04:36The king and the abbot launch an unprecedented campaign
01:04:39to translate the Buddhist scriptures
01:04:43and build sacred caves throughout the region.
01:04:46The idea of building temples in caves is native to India.
01:04:50It was what the Hindus did on the sides of the great mountains.
01:04:54And it is what the monks would have seen in their pilgrimage to India.
01:05:02Menshun and Chen supervise the construction of a set of Buddhist caves
01:05:06throughout the Hexi and Dunhuang region.
01:05:13The oldest of the Mogao Caves,
01:05:16known as the Three Caves of the Northern Yan,
01:05:19is built during the reign of Menshun.
01:05:22Its construction and decoration are unique
01:05:25and reflect the extraordinary fusion of cultures in Dunhuang at that time.
01:05:32The art of the Mogao Caves,
01:05:34which began to flourish in the reign of a Xiongnu,
01:05:37is now considered one of the most important sacred treasures of antiquity.
01:05:43Tan Buchen contributes to the foundation of the reign of Menshun
01:05:47and is revered in the Northern Yan.
01:05:50But war drums sound to defend their most eminent monks.
01:05:56In the year 433,
01:05:58the figure of Tan Buchen captures the interest of the greatest adversary of Juchu,
01:06:02Emperor Taibu of the state of Wei in the northern region.
01:06:06Emperor Taibu is the son of Emperor Taibu,
01:06:10but when he finds out that Tan Buchen has accepted the emperor's invitation,
01:06:14Menshun gets angry and becomes jealous.
01:06:19In the year 436,
01:06:21the figure of Tan Buchen captures the interest of the greatest adversary of Juchu,
01:06:25Emperor Taibu of the state of Wei in the northern region.
01:06:29But when he finds out that Tan Buchen has accepted the emperor's invitation,
01:06:33Menshun gets angry and becomes jealous.
01:06:49The death of the king
01:06:54King Xiongnu is tormented by the fact that he killed Tan Buchen.
01:07:00In the year 433,
01:07:02Juchu Menshun, conqueror of the region of Gesi,
01:07:06owner and lord of the Silk Road, falls ill and dies.
01:07:14With the death of his powerful ruler,
01:07:18the kingdom of Lian falls into the hands of his arch-enemy, Emperor Taibu.
01:07:28Although the reign of Juchu Menshun was brief,
01:07:31its legacy in the art of the sacred caves found throughout the region
01:07:35and its influence in the Buddhist faith will last for centuries.
01:07:39The flourishing of Buddhism and its prophecies
01:07:42will also serve as inspiration for a young concubine of the royal court,
01:07:46driving her out of servitude
01:07:49to become the most powerful woman in the world.
01:08:09In the third decade of the 7th century,
01:08:12a young monk undertakes an epic journey.
01:08:16The mission of Xuanzang is to recover the ancestral roots of his Buddhist faith.
01:08:21His journey coincides with a wave of religious fervor
01:08:24that sweeps Europe and Asia.
01:08:28From his cradle in Jerusalem,
01:08:30Christianity has spread to the countries of the Middle East.
01:08:35From the Mecca, Islam, founded by Muhammad,
01:08:38is in full swing in the Middle East.
01:08:41From Sarnath, in the north of India,
01:08:44Buddhism has not ceased to grow for more than a millennium.
01:08:48And since the period of the 16 kingdoms,
01:08:51Buddhism has prospered in the central and western regions of China.
01:08:56In the central plain, Buddhism has spread
01:08:59and new religions have emerged.
01:09:03Xuanzang wanted to find the original sutra
01:09:06to clarify its true meaning.
01:09:10In his epic mission, Xuanzang travels more than 5,000 kilometers.
01:09:16Beginning in the capital of Tang,
01:09:19Chan'an crosses the Tarim Basin
01:09:22passing through Dunhuang, Turfan, Kucha and Samarkand.
01:09:26He must cross the river,
01:09:30between the western region and central Asia
01:09:33to reach India,
01:09:36where he meets the most eminent monks he can find.
01:09:4317 years later, the monk returns.
01:09:46Xuanzang is famous.
01:09:52Look! The monk has returned!
01:09:55The first important Chinese city
01:09:59where he passes is Dunhuang.
01:10:02Girl! The monk has returned! Tell them he has returned!
01:10:06The monk has returned!
01:10:09When Xuanzang embarked on his journey,
01:10:12the Tang dynasty had only begun to stabilize.
01:10:15Since then, the Tang have put an end
01:10:18to the chaos that reigned in the central plain
01:10:21and a time of prosperity has begun.
01:10:24Dunhuang has become a peaceful and prosperous center.
01:10:28For trade and Buddhism, it is the Silk Road.
01:10:33Dunhuang is gaining more and more importance
01:10:36in the spread of Buddhism.
01:10:39In the city, all the Buddhist monks
01:10:42who were on their way to India or returning from there stopped.
01:10:45It could be said that it was a welcoming hostel for Buddhists.
01:10:49He has returned!
01:10:51Who has returned?
01:10:53The monk Xuanzang!
01:10:56Xuanzang carries a sacred secret with him.
01:10:59Hundreds of ancestral sutras
01:11:02that he has translated from Sanskrit to Chinese.
01:11:05In all living beings
01:11:08there is the heart of Buddha.
01:11:11It can be seen in everything colorful and incological.
01:11:14In the Tang dynasty, the number of Buddhists
01:11:17exceeded that of Taoists.
01:11:20His teachings spoke of the concern
01:11:24for the land and became very popular
01:11:27among the people of China.
01:11:32The rich and powerful also embrace Buddhism.
01:11:39On the outskirts of the city,
01:11:42rich families of merchants like the Jin
01:11:45demonstrate their power and devotion
01:11:48by building temples in caves.
01:11:52In the year 366,
01:11:55when the first cave in Mogao was built,
01:11:58hundreds of caves were added
01:12:01to create a unique set of sacred temples
01:12:04full of statues and frescoes.
01:12:07The style merges the art of the western region of China
01:12:10with influences from the most remote places
01:12:13of the Silk Road.
01:12:16For hundreds of years,
01:12:20the artists of Dunhuang absorbed the aesthetics
01:12:23of Greece, Persia, India and Afghanistan
01:12:26to create a spectacular and inspiring style
01:12:29that is unlike any other style found in the world.
01:12:42After spending several weeks in Dunhuang,
01:12:45the monk Xuanzang continues his journey
01:12:48to Chang'an, where he will request an audience with the emperor.
01:13:02Chang'an had 2 million inhabitants,
01:13:05of which more than 200,000 were foreigners.
01:13:09The urban area of Chang'an
01:13:12was over 83 square kilometers.
01:13:15It was the largest capital in Chinese history,
01:13:18surpassing Beijing in the Ming and Qing dynasties.
01:13:21It was seven times larger than the Byzantine Constantinople
01:13:24and six times larger than the Baghdad of the Arab Empire.
01:13:32The monk has returned home
01:13:35loaded with knowledge that will have consequences
01:13:39of great reach for China and Buddhism.
01:14:01You have come a long way, monk.
01:14:04Tell me, what have you seen and learned in your travels?
01:14:08Amitabha.
01:14:11Taishong is so impressed with his story
01:14:14that he orders the monk to write
01:14:17about everything he has seen and learned
01:14:20on his trip to the West.
01:14:25Among the emperor's lowest-rank concubines
01:14:28is a young woman named Meiniang.
01:14:31Seventy steps east of the temple
01:14:34is an exquisite building
01:14:38with a Buddha statue facing east.
01:14:43The young concubine takes a bold step forward.
01:14:48Holy Master, I bow to you with reverence.
01:14:51I beg you for a blessing
01:14:54for my life and my future.
01:14:59For such a low-rank concubine,
01:15:02addressing such an eminent monk
01:15:05is a huge risk.
01:15:08But it has been worth it.
01:15:11She has caught the attention of the court
01:15:14and it will not be the last time.
01:15:17In the years to come, Meiniang will rise
01:15:20to become one of the most powerful people in the world,
01:15:23Wu Shetian.
01:15:26She was an ambitious woman.
01:15:29The insignificant intrigues of Laren did not fill her
01:15:33Buddhism gave Wu Shetian the opportunity to shine.
01:15:44It is a lesson that will be remembered for a long time.
01:15:47Forty years later, life has changed
01:15:50for the old concubine.
01:15:53Now Wu Shetian is the wife of Emperor Gaozong,
01:15:56the third emperor of the Tang.
01:16:03Gaozong fell seriously ill
01:16:06and all the power passed to the hands of the empress consort.
01:16:14But despite his influence in state affairs,
01:16:17Wu Shetian's position had never been formalized.
01:16:25When the emperor dies,
01:16:28Wu Shetian knows he is in danger.
01:16:33At the death of Gaozong,
01:16:36Wu Shetian's third son, Lixian,
01:16:39becomes emperor.
01:16:42But Wu Shetian is afraid of losing his loyalty
01:16:45and six weeks later he is deposed.
01:16:53Wu Shetian's youngest son, Ruishong,
01:16:56is proclaimed emperor in his place in 684.
01:17:00Ruishong is weak
01:17:03and the widow empress trusts to be able to control him.
01:17:20Look at his face,
01:17:23how he shrinks when he sees his son on the throne.
01:17:27The internal struggles of the royal family
01:17:30were bloody and cruel.
01:17:33As for Wu, his fear was that
01:17:36if he lost power, he would also lose his life.
01:17:41Soon, Wu's enemies
01:17:44try to gain the emperor's trust.
01:17:51If they manage to manipulate him,
01:17:55it will be their end.
01:18:00To reinforce his position,
01:18:03Wu puts Ruishong's family under house arrest
01:18:06and forbids him to have contact with the ministers.
01:18:10She has the control,
01:18:13but she has enough time in the palace
01:18:16to know that having power and preserving it
01:18:19are two very different things.
01:18:22Wu Shetian wants to be empress by her own right,
01:18:25but it is an impossible aspiration.
01:18:29In China, at that time, Confucianism prevailed.
01:18:32It is blasphemy to even think
01:18:35about the possibility of a woman as empress.
01:18:38Instead, Buddhism does allow
01:18:41a matriarchal narrative.
01:18:45Make it public.
01:18:48The time for change has come.
01:18:52Shangguan, bring the news to the whole nation.
01:18:56Yes, my lady.
01:19:02To support his ambitious plan,
01:19:05Wu discovers an ancient Buddhist scripture
01:19:08known as the Great Cloud Sutra.
01:19:15She underlined a prophecy of the Great Cloud Sutra,
01:19:18according to which one day
01:19:22a female incarnation of the Bodhisattva Maitreya
01:19:25from the West would bring happiness.
01:19:29The Great Cloud Sutra is part of the sutras
01:19:32that the monk Xuanzang brought with him from India.
01:19:35And now it could be the key to Wu Shetian's ambition.
01:19:41The sutra prophesies that a female incarnation
01:19:44of the Bodhisattva will rule the world one day.
01:19:48Wu orders the construction of a temple
01:19:52in each of the 300 states of the country.
01:19:59Thousands of copies are made by hand
01:20:02and distributed throughout China.
01:20:10In one year, Wu carefully creates
01:20:13the legend of a living god.
01:20:16Based on the Great Cloud Sutra,
01:20:20he creates a new sign based on the Chinese characters
01:20:23that represent the light and the sky,
01:20:26Yao, and adopts it as his new name,
01:20:29which proclaims her as the enlightened and savior of China.
01:20:36In Chang'an, the news of Wu's conspiracy
01:20:39unleashes indignation.
01:20:44How is it possible that a woman has all the control?
01:20:48There is no precedent for the ascension of a woman to the throne.
01:21:04But in the Tang Dynasty,
01:21:07things began to change.
01:21:10Women had the power to choose their own destiny.
01:21:13Many enjoyed the exotic fashions and treasures
01:21:16that came through the Silk Road.
01:21:20The variety of products and make-up
01:21:23and the evolution of fashion
01:21:26were trends unknown in the previous dynasties.
01:21:29Even more so,
01:21:32now women had the freedom to socialize.
01:21:37The last years of the 7th century
01:21:41were also years of catastrophic climate and environmental changes.
01:21:44Hunger, cyclones and plagues
01:21:47ravaged the land.
01:21:52Wu Shetian tells his story
01:21:55taking advantage of the fears of his people.
01:22:04Wu used religion to promote his ascension to power.
01:22:07His royal clerics documented all the events
01:22:11that foretold that Wu would be the next empress.
01:22:16The people placed their hopes of stability and salvation
01:22:19in the palace.
01:22:22A salvation prophesied in the Buddhist scriptures
01:22:25personified in a woman, Wu Yao.
01:22:30The Buddha has spoken.
01:22:33Perhaps you should advance your departure.
01:22:37She will not last.
01:22:40Remember my words.
01:22:59Ruishun understands that she must abdicate.
01:23:03An implacable desire for power
01:23:06has given the victory to her mother.
01:23:20In the year 690 AD,
01:23:23Wu Shetian becomes the first empress
01:23:26and becomes the first female empress
01:23:29to reign in China.
01:23:49For more than 50 years,
01:23:52Wu has ascended from her humble origins
01:23:56to become the most powerful woman in the world.
01:23:59She has used her Buddhist beliefs
01:24:02to impose herself on her enemies.
01:24:05The people believe that she can be Maitreya,
01:24:08an incarnation of the Buddha
01:24:11who has come to bring salvation to the world.
01:24:14The empress orders that the prophecy of Maitreya
01:24:17be taught throughout the empire.
01:24:26In Dunhuang, the Jin family,
01:24:29with their political sagacity,
01:24:32sees an opportunity in Wu Shetian's edicts.
01:24:35The opportunity to elevate the position of the family
01:24:38to the eyes of the imperial court.
01:24:41He could win the favor of the empress
01:24:44if he manages to impress her with his homage.
01:24:47The Jin raise a gigantic statue of Maitreya
01:24:50in a cave built to the effect of Mogao.
01:24:54It is one of the largest Buddhas in the world
01:24:57and is part of a line of giant Buddhas
01:25:00that extends from China to Afghanistan.
01:25:03The features of the Maitreya Buddha
01:25:06were round and feminine
01:25:09and his gaze was compassionate.
01:25:12It is said that it was sculpted
01:25:15in the image and likeness of Wu Shetian.
01:25:18The Maitreya Buddha, built by the Jin family,
01:25:22is still standing in Mogao's Cave 96
01:25:25safeguarding the immortality of Wu Shetian.
01:25:33During the reign of Wu Shetian,
01:25:36Dunhuang progresses as an important center of Buddhist worship
01:25:39and flourishes the construction of caves.
01:25:43Only in the heyday of the Tang dynasty
01:25:46more than 80 temples are built.
01:25:50Artists and monks from all over the central plain
01:25:53go to work with the artisans of Dunhuang
01:25:56whose art reaches a higher level of complexity.
01:26:04During the heyday of the Tang dynasty
01:26:07a very interesting change occurs.
01:26:10The caves become amazingly Chinese in their style.
01:26:13The statues of the Buddha
01:26:16stop looking like gods from another world
01:26:19to look more like real people with Chinese features.
01:26:25New styles of Chinese Buddhist art emerge.
01:26:28The deities known as flying apsaras
01:26:31are a fusion of the celestial being of India,
01:26:34the spirit of the western region
01:26:37and the enlightened being of Chinese Taoism.
01:26:43The flourishing of art in Dunhuang and China
01:26:46is only a small part
01:26:49of the extraordinary legacy of Wu Shetian.
01:26:52Under his rule, Buddhism becomes
01:26:55the predominant cult of China
01:26:58and spreads to Japan and the Korean Peninsula.
01:27:03The Empress governs during a period of prosperity
01:27:06and unprecedented stability
01:27:10that contributes to guarantee the success of the Tang dynasty.
01:27:15Apart from the military talent of the Tang,
01:27:18their culture spread over the seven seas
01:27:21giving rise to an Eastern leader
01:27:24and, over time, an important international superpower.
01:27:34There were no precedents for a woman like Wu Shetian.
01:27:38No one like her existed in the past or will exist in the future.
01:27:43But although he has achieved supreme power,
01:27:46Wu Shetian knows that his permanence in power will be limited.
01:27:50In the last years of his life,
01:27:53Wu Shetian faced a dilemma
01:27:56that no emperor had faced before.
01:27:59As a woman, what name would her heir bear?
01:28:02She knew very well that her dynasty
01:28:06was about to disappear.
01:28:11Wu Shetian's life ends in a great tragedy.
01:28:14He is left alone, apart from his children.
01:28:20The young servant who had confronted
01:28:23the entire male ruling class
01:28:26is now overthrown by a coup d'état.
01:28:29The great empress dies a year later,
01:28:32in 705 AD.
01:28:36Buddhism continues to flourish in Dunhuang
01:28:39long after Wu Shetian's death.
01:28:42But dark clouds gather on the horizon again
01:28:45and soon a change will take place.
01:28:57In 846 AD, the ancient city of Dunhuang,
01:29:00now called Sha Zhou,
01:29:04is occupied by the Tibetan Empire.
01:29:07The Tibetans are fervent Buddhists.
01:29:10The monks work tirelessly
01:29:13on the writing of Tibetan scriptures
01:29:16for their new rulers.
01:29:19Buddhism continues to flourish.
01:29:22Almost a century earlier,
01:29:25the Tang Dynasty had been destroyed
01:29:28by the An Lushan Rebellion.
01:29:31The Tibetans took control of the territory
01:29:34by the Uyghurs and the Tibetans.
01:29:37In a few decades, the Tibetans occupied
01:29:40the Gesi Corridor and cut off
01:29:43the connection between Dunhuang and Chanan,
01:29:46thus giving China access to the Silk Road.
01:29:49As a result of the An Lushan Rebellion,
01:29:52the Tang withdrew their forces from the Gesi area
01:29:55to send them to the central plain.
01:29:59A hundred years later,
01:30:02Dunhuang remains in a delicate balance
01:30:05under the command of Hong Bian,
01:30:08a Chinese Buddhist leader appointed by the Tibetans.
01:30:11The fate of Dunhuang depends on him.
01:30:14The pain of the loss of his native land
01:30:17at the hands of the Tibetans
01:30:20had left a deep mark on Hong Bian.
01:30:23Although he had grown under the rule of the Tibetans
01:30:27Hong Bian still identified himself with the Tang Dynasty.
01:30:30The control of the Gesi Corridor by the Tibetans
01:30:33now out of the reach of the Tang Dynasty
01:30:36has restricted the traffic on the Silk Road
01:30:39and has isolated Dunhuang.
01:30:42Life is hard for the Han people.
01:30:45Among them is a feeling of anger.
01:30:48They long for change.
01:30:57In secret, Hong Bian has been training
01:31:00an army of warrior monks.
01:31:03But he knows that attacking the powerful Tibetans
01:31:06can be a danger to the population of Dunhuang.
01:31:09He must wait for the right time
01:31:12and find an ally to trust.
01:31:17Shan Jichao, born into an important family in Dunhuang,
01:31:20is highly respected among the people.
01:31:24He is a man with a fervent desire for change
01:31:27and a revolution in his mind.
01:31:30Perhaps Hong Bian has found in Shan Jichao
01:31:33the ally he needs to make change in Dunhuang.
01:31:42The assassination of the Tibetan king Landarma
01:31:45in the year 842 has shaken the western region.
01:31:48The power of the Tibetans has declined.
01:31:52And that makes them unpredictable.
01:31:55Hong Bian asks his people for patience.
01:31:58In addition, he has received the terrible news
01:32:01of a purge of the Buddhist cult
01:32:04that Emperor Wusong has carried out.
01:32:07It will be the persecution of Buddhism
01:32:10of the Huichang period.
01:32:13Hong Bian understands that even if a rebellion
01:32:16prospers in Dunhuang, the Buddhist monks
01:32:19will be killed.
01:32:30Can we count on your support?
01:32:34Hong Bian agrees.
01:32:38In the monasteries of Dunhuang,
01:32:41the monks receive instructions.
01:32:50Until the news arrives
01:32:53that Emperor Wusong has died.
01:32:56The time has come for Hong Bian.
01:33:02The monastic order is to kill him.
01:33:06A quiet summer morning in the year 848
01:33:09Shan Jichao approaches the city gates
01:33:12but he is outnumbered.
01:33:17I order you to open the gates and surrender.
01:33:22Go to hell!
01:33:30Get rid of them!
01:33:36Inside the city walls,
01:33:39the monks of Hong Bian raise their weapons.
01:33:50While the Tibetans are unprepared,
01:33:53in the summer of the year 848,
01:33:56Dunhuang is finally reconquered by the Tang.
01:34:00Freedom for Dunhuang!
01:34:04Freedom for Dunhuang!
01:34:09Shan Jichao does not stop in Dunhuang.
01:34:12He reconquers eleven more prefectures,
01:34:15including Huayou, Ganzhou and Jizhou
01:34:18which were in the hands of the Tibetans.
01:34:21Eleven years after the rebellion in Dunhuang,
01:34:24the Telgesi Corridor is once again
01:34:27under the control of the Tang.
01:34:34Hong Bian remains in Dunhuang.
01:34:37He has fulfilled his father's dream
01:34:40of liberating the city
01:34:43and is now embarking on the construction
01:34:46of a magnificent three-story cave in Mogao.
01:34:49The cave will document and honor the legacy of his family
01:34:52but it will also give rise to a mystery.
01:34:59To commemorate the achievements in Hong Bian's life,
01:35:03a side chamber was built where he used to meditate.
01:35:06His statue was placed in that added part of cave 16.
01:35:14Hong Bian, the soul of the Buddhist community of Dunhuang,
01:35:17dies in the year 862.
01:35:28In the centuries that follow his death,
01:35:31great changes take place in China.
01:35:34Dynasties rise and fall.
01:35:37Cultures evolve and progress.
01:35:40The Silk Road, still used by some merchants,
01:35:43loses its strategic importance.
01:35:49The Silk Road declined
01:35:52after the Yuan Dynasty.
01:35:55The main reasons are the rise of maritime technology
01:35:59and the displacement of the Chinese economic center
01:36:02from the north to the south.
01:36:05Dunhuang falls into decline
01:36:08and its sacred caves fall into oblivion.
01:36:11A thousand years of history buried in the sand of the desert.
01:36:16Until one day,
01:36:19a lonely Taoist monk arrives in Dunhuang.
01:36:22Wang Yuanlu was a soldier.
01:36:25When his army dissolves,
01:36:29he finds the caves of Mogao in a terrible state of abandonment.
01:36:40And this is where the incredible discovery takes place.
01:36:48The monk knows that he has found something important,
01:36:51but he does not have the knowledge to appreciate its true value.
01:36:55Rumors of the discovery circulate through the Silk Road.
01:36:58The British explorer of Hungarian origin, Aurel Stein,
01:37:01is interested and travels to Dunhuang
01:37:04to see the treasures for himself.
01:37:12It is the oldest paper archive in the world.
01:37:15These scrolls and manuscripts,
01:37:18most of them are in Chinese,
01:37:21but also in other local languages.
01:37:25This is the time when paper makes its appearance in Europe.
01:37:31It is unknown why this extraordinary collection of documents
01:37:34was pre-printed in the cave,
01:37:37but scholars have unearthed most of the history.
01:37:43After the death of Hongbian,
01:37:46the monks began to deposit the documents and writings
01:37:49in a small antechamber excavated on one side of his temple.
01:37:55If it was to protect them from war or an act of veneration,
01:37:58it is a mystery.
01:38:02What is certain is that around the year 1002
01:38:05the chamber was sealed
01:38:08and its treasures were hidden for centuries.
01:38:16The range of materials that we find in the cave,
01:38:19thousands and thousands of manuscripts
01:38:22about the aspects of everyday life,
01:38:25in a context of hundreds of caves decorated
01:38:28with a rich variety of materials that span more than a millennium.
01:38:31It is unique in the world, there is nothing like it.
01:38:34The most important of all is a Buddhist sutra,
01:38:37the Diamond Sutra.
01:38:40It dates from the year 868
01:38:43and is the oldest book that has been found
01:38:46produced by a revolutionary printing technology.
01:38:50In addition to the Buddhist scriptures,
01:38:53there are documents on art, history, geography,
01:38:56literature, astronomy, medicine
01:38:59and many aspects of everyday life.
01:39:03Stein received from Wang the relics of the cave of the library,
01:39:06which included 24 boxes of manuscripts
01:39:09and 5 of paintings.
01:39:12He swindled Wang, acquiring those invaluable objects
01:39:15in exchange for almost nothing,
01:39:19and took them to London.
01:39:23Stein's arrival in Dunhuang
01:39:26puts the world on the alert of the importance of the cave of the library.
01:39:29Archaeologists and scientists from all over the world
01:39:32go to the ancient archaeological site.
01:39:35Thousands of manuscripts are transferred abroad
01:39:38for study and analysis.
01:39:42The vast amount of first-hand material
01:39:45that was there
01:39:48completely revolutionized
01:39:51the study of the ancient history of China
01:39:54in the West, without a doubt.
01:39:58With the attention of the world focused on Dunhuang,
01:40:01the impressive art created for centuries
01:40:04in the caves of Mogao also begins to be appreciated.
01:40:07Today it is considered one of the most important
01:40:11treasures of antiquity.
01:40:24The materials from Dunhuang,
01:40:27the paintings and the manuscripts,
01:40:30are of an incalculable value in many ways.
01:40:33They show us the great diversity of cultures
01:40:36that emerged in Dunhuang
01:40:39and also that they all coexisted in harmony.
01:40:47The caves of Mogao and the ancient manuscripts
01:40:50cover 700 years of the history of China.
01:40:54They are words and facts of the lives of others
01:40:57that speak to us through the sands of time.
01:41:02They reveal who we are
01:41:05and who came before us.
01:41:09Ban Chao, the great general Han
01:41:12who defeated the Kushan
01:41:15and subdued the western region.
01:41:20Shanxi, who fought against corruption in the city
01:41:23and returned to it its condition
01:41:26as the center of commerce and cultural diversity.
01:41:29Juchu Menshu, the caudillo Xiongnu
01:41:32who conquered Dunhuang
01:41:35using the force of nature.
01:41:39He was the ambitious courtesan
01:41:42who took advantage of the fame of Dunhuang
01:41:45as a sacred Buddhist place to ascend to the throne.
01:41:48And Hongbian, the builder of the cave of the library
01:41:51who fought for Dunhuang
01:41:54and the dreams of freedom of his father.
01:41:58DUNHUANG
01:42:08Despite the chaos, political turmoil and wars
01:42:11Dunhuang grew to become
01:42:14an important border fortress
01:42:17on the ancient Silk Road.
01:42:20A lively, rich and prosperous city
01:42:23with many cultures, languages and cults.
01:42:27Much before the current globalized world
01:42:30Dunhuang was a shining beacon
01:42:33and left a rich cultural legacy
01:42:36that persists to this day.