The Feitian in Dunhuang murals appeared at the same time as the Huai Cave was built. Starting from the Sixteen Kingdoms, it went through ten dynasties and lasted for more than a thousand years until it disappeared with the construction of the Dunhuang Grottoes at the end of the Yuan Dynasty. In this long history of more than a thousand years, due to changes in historical circumstances such as the change of dynasties, the transfer of political power, the development and prosperity of the economy, the frequent exchanges of Chinese and Western cultures, Feitian's artistic image, posture and artistic conception, style and taste have all changed. Constantly changing. Different eras and different artists have left us Feitian with different styles and characteristics. For more than a thousand years, Dunhuang Feitian has formed a unique history of evolution and development. Its evolution history is generally consistent with the entire Dunhuang art development history and is divided into four stages. From the Northern Liang Dynasty of the Sixteen Kingdoms to the Northern Wei Dynasty, about 170 years ago, the Dunhuang Feitian during this period was deeply influenced by the Apsaras from India and the Western Regions, and was generally a Western Regions Feitian. However, the characteristics of Feitian in the two dynasties during this period were also slightly different. In the Northern Liang Dynasty of Mogao Grottoes, most of the flying Apsaras were painted on the top of the cave, in the decoration of the caisson on the top of the cave, on the upper edge of the Buddhist niche and on the head of the subject of the Jataka story painting. Its modeling and artistic characteristics are: a round head, an oval face, a straight nose, big eyes, a big mouth and big ears; there are rings on the ears, a bun on the head, or an Indian five-jeweled crown; a short and thick body, a half-naked upper body, and a waist. Wearing a long skirt and a large scarf over the shoulders; due to the discoloration technique, the bridge of the nose and eyes become white, which is very similar to the Feitian in the grottoes such as Qiuci in the Western Regions in terms of shape, face, posture, color and painting skills.

The flying Apsaras with the most Northern Wei style are the two flying Apsaras painted on the north wall of Cave 254 above the story painting of "King Shibi's Jataka" and the two flying Apsaras above the story painting on the back of the north wall of Cave 260 . The outstanding features of these four flying apsaras are: a round head, wearing an Indian-style five-jeweled crown, a slender face, a white nose bridge, white eye circles due to discoloration, a small face; a semi-naked upper body, slender legs, and a large opening. U" shape; the skirt is fluttering, the scarf is flying, flying across the sky, and the ceiling is falling all around; although Feitian's body and streamers have changed color, the smudge and lines of the dress and streamers are very clear, and Feitian's flying momentum is dynamic and powerful, The posture is free and graceful. From the Western Wei Dynasty to the Sui Dynasty, it lasted about 80 years. During this period, the Dunhuang Feitian was in the stage of exchange, integration, innovation and change between Buddhist heavenly beings and Taoist feathered beings, as well as Western Region Feitian and Central Plains Feitian. It was a combination of Chinese and Western Feitian. The Feitian of the Western Wei Dynasty in Mogao Grottoes is generally painted in the same position as that of the Northern Wei Dynasty. It’s just that during the Western Wei Dynasty, two types of Feitian with different styles and characteristics appeared, one was the Western Regions-style Feitian and the other was the Central Plains-style Feitian. The Western Region-style Feitian inherits the shape and painting style of the Northern Wei Dynasty Feitian. The biggest changes are: Gandharva, the god of incense, scatters flowers and flies in the sky holding various musical instruments; Kinnara, the god of singing and dancing, breaks out of the sky fence and flies in the sky. The two gods merged into one and became the later Feitian, also known as Sanhua Feitian and Jiyue Feitian. His representative works include the four-body musical instrument above the Buddhist niche on the west wall of Cave 249.

The Central Plains-style flying apsaras are a new type of flying apsaras created in the Mogao Grottoes by the Central Plains art style brought from Luoyang when Wang Rong of Dongyang was the governor of Guazhou (ancient Dunhuang). This kind of flying apsara is a fusion of Chinese Taoist flying immortals and Hindu flying apsaras: the Chinese Taoist flying immortals have lost their wings, bare their upper bodies, wear necklaces around their necks, long skirts around their waists, and colorful ribbons on their shoulders; the Indian Buddhist flying immortals have lost their wings The round light and the Indian crown were tied up, and the Taoist crown was put on. The character image is promoted to have a Central Plains "beautiful bones and clear image" shape, with a slender figure, a thin face and a long neck, a wide and narrow forehead, a straight nose, beautiful eyes, thin and bright eyebrows, an upturned corner of the mouth, and a slight smile. The most representative one is the twelve flying apsaras on the upper floor of the south wall of Cave 282. These twelve flying apsaras, with their heads tied in double buns, their upper bodies exposed, long skirts tied around their waists, and colorful ribbons draped over their shoulders, have slender figures and are in the shape of a large open horizontal bow. They fly against the wind and play waist drums, clappers, flutes, horizontal flutes, reeds, and other instruments. Pipa, ruanxian, harp and other musical instruments. The surrounding ceiling is spinning and the clouds are drifting, setting off the flying sky, flying in the wind, as light as a swallow, taking care of each other, free and happy, roaming in space.

The Northern Zhou Dynasty was a minority regime established by the Xianbei people in the northwest. Although its rule was short, many caves were built in the Mogao Grottoes.

The Xianbei rulers believed in Buddhism and had good connections with the Western Regions, so the Western Region-style flying apsaras appeared again in the Mogao Grottoes. This new flying apsara has the style of the flying apsaras from the Qiuci, Kizil and other grottoes, with a round face, a strong body, and long legs. He is short, has a round head, wears an Indian crown, has an exposed upper body, large breasts and a round navel, a long skirt around his waist, and a scarf around his shoulders. The most striking thing is that the face and body were dyed using a concave and convex blending method. Due to discoloration, five white spots appeared: white edges, white nose bridge, white eye sockets, and white chin. The flying posture is in an open "U" shape, the body is short and strong, and the movement is simple, almost returning to the characteristics of the flying apsara painting style of the Northern Liang period of Mogao Grottoes. However, the image is much richer than that in the Northern Liang period, and there are many Jiyue Feitian.

The flying apsaras most characteristic of the Northern Zhou Dynasty are those in Cave 290 and Cave 428. Feitian in these two caves. He has a strong body, a round face, a round head, and wears an Indian crown. His facial features are white, his upper body is exposed, he wears a long skirt around his waist, and a scarf around his shoulders. His body is dyed with thick and uneven colors, and he has enlarged breasts and a round navel due to discoloration. more prominent. The Ji Le Tian Fei in Cave 428 has rich shapes. Some play the pipa, some the harp, some the transverse flute, or some the waist drum. They are vivid in image and graceful in posture. Especially the flying figure on the west side of the south wall, holding a recorder in both hands, kicking the purple gold crown upside down with both feet, the long belt flying from under the body, the ceiling falling all around, and its flying posture is like a nimble swallow swooping down.

The Sui Dynasty was the era when the Mogao Grottoes had the largest number of flying apsaras in paintings. It was also an era when the Mogao Grottoes had the most types of flying apsaras and the richest gestures. In addition to the positions of the flying apsaras painted in the Northern Dynasties, the flying apsaras of the Sui Dynasty were mainly painted around the caisson on the top of the cave, around the upper level of the cave, and on both sides of the Buddhist niche on the west wall. Most of them appeared in groups. The style of Feitian in the Sui Dynasty can be summarized into four differences. First, regional characteristics are different. In the caves of the Sui Dynasty, there are both Western Region-style flying apsaras and Central Plains-style flying apsaras, and more are a combination of Chinese and Western flying apsaras. Second, the face shape and body shape are different. Face shapes range from plump and round to delicate; body shapes range from strong to slender. But most of them have slender figures, moderate proportions, soft and slender waists, and graceful figures. Third, the clothes and clothes are different. Some are half-naked, some look like Zhang Zhi; some are wearing sleeveless short skirts, and some are wearing wide-sleeved long skirts; some are wearing crowns, some are wearing buns, and there are some flying bald monks. Finally, the flying attitude is different. Some are flying up, some are flying down, some are flying with the wind, some are flying against the wind, some are flying solo, and some are flying in a group, but the flying posture is no longer in a "U" shape, and the body is relatively free to stretch. Generally speaking, Feitian in the Sui Dynasty was in a period of exchange, integration, exploration, and innovation. The general trend was to develop in the direction of Sinicization, which laid the foundation for the complete Sinicization of Feitian in the Tang Dynasty. The Feitian with the most Sui Dynasty style is the Feitian in Cave 427 and Cave 404.

Cave 427 is one of the large caves in the Sui Dynasty. It is also the cave with the most flying paintings in the Sui Dynasty. On the four walls of this cave, there are 108 flying gods flying around the cave along the railings of the Tiangong. These 108 flying apsaras all wear crowns on their heads, are half-naked on their upper bodies, have necklaces on their necks, bracelets on their hands, long skirts around their waists, and colorful ribbons around their shoulders. Many of them have the legacy of the shapes and costumes of the apsaras from the Western Regions. Although the skin color has darkened, the image is still very clear. Some have their hands clasped together, some are holding lotus flowers, some are holding flower trays, some are scattering flowers, and some are holding musical instruments such as harps, pipas, flutes, and harps, facing a Flying around the cave. Its postures are diverse, its body is light, its long flowing skirt and flying ribbons are curled up in the wind. All around Feitian, floating clouds and falling flowers are flying, which is very dynamic and full of vitality.

Cave 404 is a medium-sized cave from the middle and late Sui Dynasty. The four walls of the cave are painted with heavenly palace railings, and the flying sky surrounds the cave. Just like the flying apsaras in Cave 427, they have different postures. Some are holding lotuses, some are holding flower trays, some are scattering flowers, and some are holding various musical instruments. They are flying against the wind in one direction, with light bodies and graceful postures. But there have been great changes in jewelry and clothing: there is no round head, no crown, some have a peach-shaped fairy bun, some have a double-ring fairy bun, some have a fairy boy bun; the face is egg-shaped, and the eyebrows are clear. Rice has a slender figure; her clothes are light and soft, and her scarf is long and wide. The clothes, face, and body posture are like those of Feitian in the early Tang Dynasty, and they have been completely Chineseized. It runs through the entire Tang Dynasty from the early to the late Tang Dynasty, about 300 years.

The Dunhuang Flying Apsara is developed and created based on the traditional culture and art of this nation, continuously absorbing the elements of the Indian Flying Apsara, and integrating the achievements of the Western Regions and the Central Plains Flying Apsara. Starting from the Sixteen Kingdoms, it went through five dynasties: Northern Liang, Northern Wei, Western Wei, Northern Zhou, and Sui Dynasty. Within a hundred years, Dunhuang Feitian completed the mutual exchange, absorption, and integration of China and foreign countries, east and west, north and south, and completed the sinicization process. In the Tang Dynasty, Dunhuang Feitian entered a mature period, and its artistic image reached its most perfect stage. During this period, the Dunhuang flying apsaras no longer had the style of flying apsaras from India and the Western Regions, and were completely Chinese-style flying apsaras.

The Tang Dynasty was the dynasty with the largest number of large-scale Sutra paintings in the Mogao Grottoes. Almost all four walls of the cave are occupied by large-scale Sutra paintings. Feitian is also mainly painted in large-scale warp paintings. In terms of subject matter, on the one hand, it shows scenes of Buddha preaching in large-scale sutra paintings, with flowers scattered, singing, dancing, and praise as offerings; on the other hand, it shows the heavenly realm of the Buddha in large-scale sutra paintings - the "Western Pure Land", "Eastern Pure Land" and other bliss Joy to the world. The apsaras circled the Buddha's head or soared over the Paradise. Some stepped on the colorful clouds and landed slowly; some raised their heads and raised their arms and soared into the sky; some held flowers in their hands and soared into the sky; some held flower trays in their hands, Floating across the sky. The fluttering skirts and flying dance ribbons are just as poetic and picturesque as what the great poet Li Bai of the Tang Dynasty described in his poem about fairies: "Holding hibiscus in bare hands, the empty steps are too clear. The colorful clothes are dragging the wide belt, floating up to the sky."

Grave experts at the Dunhuang Academy divide the Tang Dynasty art of the Dunhuang Grottoes into four stages: the early Tang Dynasty, the prosperous Tang Dynasty, the middle Tang Dynasty and the late Tang Dynasty. These four stages are divided into two periods: the early and prosperous Tang Dynasty is the early period, that is, the Tang Dynasty directly ruled the Dunhuang area (618-781 AD); the middle and late Tang Dynasty is the later period, that is, the Tufan people invaded the Dunhuang area , and the period when Zhang Yichao, the governor of the Hexi Guiyi Army, governed the Dunhuang area (781-907 AD).

Artistic style best reflects the political, economic and social forms of the era. Feitian in the early Tang Dynasty was characterized by enterprising, bold and powerful, free and unrestrained, and strange appearance. The ever-changing beauty of flight. This is consistent with the enlightened politics, strong national power, prosperous economy, rich culture, and open and enterprising spirit of the early Tang Dynasty. The flying apsaras that are most characteristic of the early Tang Dynasty style are the double flying apsaras painted in Cave 321 of the early Tang Dynasty and the four flying apsaras painted in Cave 320 of the prosperous Tang Dynasty.

On both sides of the Buddhist niche on the west wall of Cave 321 are two figures of flying apsaras. The two Feitian's flying postures are very graceful. Although Feitian's face and body have turned into dark purple, the outline of their eyebrows, body posture, and the lines of the ribbons on their clothes are very clear: they have slim figures, heads held high, legs raised, hands Scattered flowers, clothes, skirts and scarves stretch with the wind, falling slowly from top to bottom, like two swallows flying in the air, showing the beauty of graceful and light flight. The Four Flying Apsaras in Cave 320 are painted above the canopy above the head of Amitabha in the "Transformation of the Pure Land of the West" on the south wall. Two bodies on each side, in a symmetrical form, chase each other around the canopy: one in front, spreading flowers with his hands, looking back, raising his arms in pursuit. Calling in front and responding in the back, it shows a kind of spirit that is both enterprising and free, and the beauty of flight. Around Feitian, colorful clouds float and fragrant flowers fall, which not only shows Feitian making offerings to the Buddha, but also expresses the freedom and joy of the Buddhist paradise. Although Feitian's body has turned black and his face is unclear, the overall image is clear, with a slender figure, light posture, accurate human body proportions, smooth and powerful line drawing, and bright and rich colors. It is one of the representative works of Feitian in the Tang Dynasty.

The momentum and posture of Feitian in the late Tang Dynasty no longer had the enterprising spirit and free and joyful mood of the early period. In terms of artistic modeling, the clothes have changed from bright and rich to elegant and light, the human body has changed from plump and delicate to thin and simple, and the expression has changed from excitement and joy to calm and melancholy. Among them, the most representative ones are the several flying apsaras painted on the west wall of the large-scale "Nirvana Sutra" on the west wall of Cave 158 in the Middle Tang Dynasty. These flying apsaras are flying around the Bodhi tree cover on the upper layer of the "Nirvana Sutra". , some are holding flower plates, some are holding necklaces, some are holding incense burners, some are playing Qiang flutes, and some are scattering flowers and making offerings to the Buddha.

During the Yuan Dynasty, the Mongols ruled the Dunhuang area, and very few caves were built or renovated in the Mogao Grottoes and Yulin Grottoes. Tantra was popular in the Yuan Dynasty and was divided into Tibetan Tantra and Han Tantra. There are no flying deities in Tibetan Tantric art, and there are not many existing flying deities in Han Tantric art. Among them, the representative ones are the four flying apsaras painted on the two corners of the "Avalokitesvara Sutra with Thousand Arms and Thousand Eyes" on the south and north walls of Cave 3. The two flying apsaras above the "Avalokitesvara Sutra" on the north wall are more perfect in shape. The two flying apsaras are symmetrical to each other, with basically similar images, postures, and clothing. They have conical buns on their heads and beaded crowns. They have plump faces, long eyebrows and beautiful eyes. They are half-naked, with necklaces on their necks, jewels on their arms, and a lotus in one hand. , holding a lotus branch in one hand and carrying it on his shoulders, he descended from the sky on yellow cirrus clouds. His clothes, skirt, and scarf were very short, his body was heavy, and his sense of flying was not strong. They no longer have the posture and style of Buddhist flying gods, but look like two Taoist fairy boys flying on clouds. Dunhuang Feitian has gone through more than a thousand years, showing different era characteristics and national styles, many beautiful images, joyful realms, and eternal artistic vitality still attracting people today, as Mr. Duan Wenjie said in "Flying Apsara in the World" The article says: "They have not perished with the passage of time. They are still alive. In new songs and dances, in murals, and in crafts (trademarks, advertisements), there are images of Feitian everywhere. It should be said that they have evolved from When the Kingdom of Heaven comes to earth, it will live in people’s hearts forever and continue to provide people with enlightenment and beautiful enjoyment.”