Dunhuang Feitian is the business card of Dunhuang Mogao Grottoes and a symbol of Dunhuang art. As long as people see the graceful flying sky, they will think of the art of Dunhuang Mogao Grottoes. Among the 492 caves in Dunhuang Mogao Grottoes, almost all have flying apsaras painted on them. According to Mr. Chang Shuhong in the preface to the large-scale art album "Dunhuang Flying Apsaras", "there are more than 4,500 figures in total." The number of them can be said to be the largest number of Feitian preserved in the Buddhist grottoes and temples in the world and among Chinese Buddhist grottoes. Among the Feitian murals, the Huai Cave appeared at the same time when it was created. Starting from the Sixteen Kingdoms, it went through ten dynasties and lasted for more than a thousand years. It was not until the end of the Yuan Dynasty that it disappeared with the construction of the Dunhuang Grottoes. 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 history of Dunhuang art development, and is divided into four stages: The rise period lasted from the Sixteen Kingdoms of Northern Liang to the Northern Wei Dynasty (366--535 AD), which lasted about 170 years. During this period, Dunhuang Feitian was deeply loved by India and The influence of Feitian in the Western Regions is generally that of Feitian in the Western Regions. 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: round head, oval face, straight nose and big eyes, big mouth and big ears, round earrings, bun in a bun, or a mandrel or an Indian five-jeweled crown, and a short and stout figure. The upper body is half-naked, with a long skirt wrapped around the waist and a large scarf draped over the shoulders. Due to the sfumato technique, the color changes, resulting in a white nose bridge and white eyeballs. It is similar to the Feitian in the grottoes such as Qiuci in the Western Regions, in terms of shape, face, posture, color, and painting skills. Very similar. Because when the Mogao Grottoes were first built, the painters in the Dunhuang area were not familiar with Buddhist themes and foreign art, and were in the imitation stage. They used bold brushwork and bold coloring, which appeared rough and simple. There are only three Mogao Grottoes in Beiliang Grottoes. The flying apsaras most characteristic of the Northern Liang style are the flying apsaras above the main characters in the miniature story painting on the north wall of Cave 275. They have round lights on their heads, wearing Indian five-jeweled crowns, or buns on their heads, and their upper bodies are half-naked. , the body is in a "U" shape, the feet are upturned, or the hands are separated, or the hands are joined, and there is a flying posture, but this flying posture looks very awkward and feels like falling. The "U"-shaped body also appears to be straight and stiff, not yet rounded, slightly curved, and there are remnants of the flying posture of Indian stone sculptures. The scope of Feitian paintings in Mogao Grottoes during the Northern Wei Dynasty expanded. Not only were they painted on the chess pieces on the top of the cave, the caisson on the top of the cave, the story paintings, and the Buddhist niches, but they were also painted on the sermon diagrams and both sides of the Buddhist niches. In the Northern Wei Dynasty, some caves still retain the characteristics of the Western Region-style flying apsaras. However, the images of flying apsaras in some caves have undergone obvious changes and gradually transformed into Chinese styles. Feitian's face has changed from round to slender, with clear eyebrows, a plump nose, a small mouth, and well-proportioned facial features. There is a round light on the head, or a five-jeweled crown, or a round bun. The proportions of the body gradually become slender, and some legs are twice as long as the waist. The flying postures are also diverse. Some are swimming across space, some are taking off with their arms raised, and some are flying with their hands together, showing their magnanimity and magnanimity. The momentum is like soaring clouds and flying cranes. Where the flying sky falls, fragrant flowers are falling, which is quite poetic like "flowers from the sky are falling all over the sky". 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 "The King of Corpses" and the two flying apsaras on the back of the north wall of cave 260 above the illustration. The outstanding features of this four-body apsara are: a round head, an Indian-style five-jeweled crown, and a slender face. Due to discoloration, it has a white nose bridge, white eye circles, and a small face. The upper body is half naked, and the legs are slender, forming a "U" shape with a large opening. Dresses fluttered, scarves flew across the sky, and flowers fell from the sky all around. Although Feitian's body and streamers have changed color, the smudges and lines of Feitian's dress and ribbons are very clear. Feitian's flight is dynamic and powerful, and his posture is free and graceful. The period of innovation lasted about 80 years from the Western Wei Dynasty to the Sui Dynasty (535-618 AD).

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 black, 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, and legs raised. , scattering flowers with both hands, the 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 Buddha 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. Feitian in the late Tang Dynasty no longer had the aggressive spirit and free and joyful mood of the early period in terms of momentum and posture. 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. But his expression was calm and there was no sense of joy. The solemn and solemn expression revealed a sad and sad look, which reflected a religious state of "sorrow between heaven and man". At the same time, it also reflected the decline of national power in the late Tang Dynasty. , the worries of the Chinese people and the mood of the people who prayed to the gods and Buddhas to return to the Tang Dynasty when the Tubo people ruled the Dunhuang area. Among these bodies, the one located on the north side of Baogai has the most expressive posture and expression. In its flying posture, its head is held high, its chest is held high, its hands are holding a necklace, its legs are raised back, surrounding the treasure cover, falling gently from top to bottom, with long belts flying on its back and colorful flowers swirling under its chest. The clothes are simple and elegant, the body is only drawn with lines, the features are delicate, the expression is solemn and slightly sad. The flying posture is no longer as exciting and light as in the early Tang Dynasty, and seems a bit heavy. Cave 321: The Goddess on the Railing and the Flying Sky in the Early Tang Dynasty Mogao Grottoes: Cave 321: Double Flying Sky in the Early Tang Dynasty: The Feitian in Cave 15: The Decline of Tang Music and Feitian in Cave 15: From the Five Dynasties to the Yuan Dynasty, including the Five Dynasties, Song Dynasty, Xixia and Yuan Dynasties (907-AD -1368), about 460 years ago. During this period, Dunhuang Feitian inherited the remnants of the Tang Dynasty, with no innovation in graphic dynamics and gradually becoming formulaic. There is no longer the innovative and changeable spirit of the Sui Dynasty or the enterprising spirit of the Tang Dynasty. Although Feitian's artistic level and style characteristics are different, they are not as good as each generation, which gradually promotes the original artistic life. The Feitian style of these four dynasties is briefly described as follows: The Five Dynasties and the Northern Song Dynasty were the periods when the Hexi Guiyi Army Cao's regime governed the Dunhuang area. The Feitian of this period inherited the remaining styles of the Tang Dynasty, but there were no innovative works, and their flying was poor and no longer alive, which completely promoted the angry and cheerful tone of the Feitian of the Tang Dynasty. However, the Cao regime believed in Buddhism and built or renovated a large number of caves in the Mogao Grottoes and Yulin Grottoes. It also established a painting academy and hired some famous painters at the time to inherit the style of the Tang Dynasty. Some excellent flying masterpieces were left behind. His representative works are the Feitian in Cave 16 of Yulin Grottoes and Cave 327 of Mogao Grottoes. Cave 16 of Yulin Grottoes is a cave from the early Five Dynasties. Although the flying apsaras painted in the cave are not as lively, pretty and light as the flying apsaras of the Tang Dynasty, they have this craftsmanship, but they are very decorative. For example, in this cave, there are two flying figures playing guzheng and harp, which are perfectly painted. Both flying figures have buns on their heads, curved eyebrows and big eyes, a straight nose and small lips, a plump face, ringed earlobes, and a half-naked upper body. The chest is decorated with a necklace, the arms are decorated with bracelets, the waist is tied with a long skirt, the bare feet are exposed, and the hands are skillfully playing the strings, with an elegant posture.

Its biggest feature is that the flying scarf is three times as long as the body. There are fluttering flowers in the middle of the flying scarf. There are colorful clouds flowing under the flying scarf. The flying sky seems to be soaring against the wind on the colorful flowers. The whole picture is symmetrical and equal. Very decorative. Cave 327 is a cave in the late Song Dynasty in Mogao Grottoes. The top of the cave is draped on all four sides and has a circle of flying stars along the lower edge. Some are holding flowers and some are playing music to make offerings to the Buddha. The two flying apsaras on the north side of its east slope have a more perfect image and posture. Both Feitian's bodies are tied up in buns, wearing beaded crowns, upper body, necklaces, and precious bracelets on their arms. They have plump faces and delicate eyebrows. One hand is holding a flower plate, and the other is holding a phoenix-headed harp, with glyphs blooming on the walls of the heavenly palace, flying against the wind, with fluttering skirts and long belts flying. Flowers are falling on Feitian's body, and colorful clouds are flying under Feitian's body. Although it is not like Feitian in the Tang Dynasty, It is powerful, but its flight dynamics are also very vivid. It can be said to be the representative work of Feitian in the Song Dynasty. Xixia was a minority aristocratic regime established by Dang Xiang in the northwest. The Feitian of the Western Xia Dynasty in Mogao Grottoes partly follows the style of the Song Dynasty, and partly has the unique style of the Western Xia Dynasty. The biggest feature is that the characters and folk customs of the Xixia Dangxiang people are integrated into the image of Feitian. He has an oblong face, bulging cheeks, deep eyes and pointed nose, and a strong body. He wears leather clothes, often decorated with beads, and is very worldly. The representative one is the Flying Boy in Cave 97. On the inside of the Buddhist niche on the west wall of this cave, there are paintings of boys scattering flowers and flying in the sky. The images, postures and clothes are the same: bald hair on top of the head, pigtails on both sides, round face, thin eyebrows, upturned eyes, thick lips and bulging cheeks, bare arms and bare legs, muscular Plump and well built. The arms are decorated with beads and bracelets, the waist is tied with an animal skin girdle, and the feet are bare short leather boots. Holding a lotus in one hand and a flower disk in the other, one leg is bent and the other is raised, flying from top to bottom. The colorful ribbons are flying on the back, but the flying momentum is not strong. These two flying apsaras no longer have the demeanor of the early Wutian, the god of music and song in Buddhism, nor the graceful charm of the apsaras of the Tang Dynasty. If you wipe off the scarf on your arm, you can see the colorful clouds underneath, and it looks like a boy dressed as a party member. Judging from the character image, hairstyle, and clothing, they all show the characteristics and life style of the Xixia party clan. 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 hair and beaded crowns. They have round 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. Hua, holding a lotus branch in one hand and carrying it on the arm, descending from the sky on yellow cirrus clouds, the dress, skirt and scarf are very short, the body is heavy, and the sense of flying is 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 craft articles (trademarks, advertisements), there are images of flying stars everywhere. It should be said that they have risen from the kingdom of heaven. After landing in the human world, he will live in people's hearts forever and continue to provide people with enlightenment and beautiful enjoyment."