Dunhuang Flying Apsaras
According to the Buddhist legend, the Flying Apsaras are heavenly guardians that fly through the sky. Flying Apsaras are also known as goddesses of music and of fragrance because of their unusually graceful and aromatic qualities. In the northwestern province of Gansu, the city of Dunhuang is home to Mogao Grottoes; a world heritage site containing more than 4,000 images of the flying Apsaras with a wide variety of both female and male Apsaras shown in an array of shapes and postures. Over the past 1, 000 years, images of the flying Apsaras have changed due to the different cultural ideas, religious beliefs, aesthetic values and styles of different ethnic groups. What has remained unchanged is the happiness and comfort brought by the flying Apsaras to people, along with the pursuit of creativity, happiness and freedom which they imply.
Duration: 25 min
敦煌飛天
飛天，在佛教典籍中是指飛在天上的神。她既是侍衛神，又因其婀娜的姿態與芬芳的氣息被奉為樂神和香神。在中國西北部甘肅省的沙漠中，在被列入《世界遺産名錄》的敦煌莫高窟的洞窟里，飛舞着4,000余身形態各異的飛天，其間不僅有我們所熟知的女性飛天，還有大量的男性飛天。一千多年來，飛天的形象在不同朝代、不同民族的文化心理、宗教信仰、審美情趣和時代風尚的影響下不斷變化，未曾改變的，是她給世人心靈帶來的愉悅与撫慰，是他所寄寓的人們對超脫、快樂和自由的嚮往与追求。
時長：25分鐘