Skip to content

Dharma Documentaries

Dharma. Culture. Ecology.

Menu
  • Dharma
  • Culture
  • Ecology
  • Archives
  • About
Menu

Dunhuang, Playing the Pipa Behind the Back (2 of 8)

Posted on August 4, 2014March 16, 2022 by Dharma Documentaries
A look at how depictions of musicians playing the pipa in the Dunhuang Mogoa Caves have influenced contemporary art.

Playing the Pipa Behind the Back

This is the second in an eight-part series by China Central Television (CCTV) on the interplay between the murals in the Mogoa Caves and contemporary art in China.

In this episode we see how the depictions of musicians playing the pipa (Chinese lute) in an unusual position, behind the back, have fascinated and inspired dancers in the modern age.

Although many of the depictions shown in the murals have been passed down in the arts, the idea of playing the pipa behind the back has not come down, and it was therefore unsure whether it was real or simply a painter’s fantasy.

Contemporary dance masters however have succeeded in recreating such a dance, however, and it became so successful that it is now iconic of the Mogoa Caves, and there is even a sculpture in the middle of Dunhuang depicting the pose.

 

if the video does not appear on the page, please first try reloading the page, and if that doesn’t work, leave a comment so I can update the page (the comment is not published)

 

to see an album of stills click here

 

TAGS:
Culture, Caves, China, Dance, Monks, Murals, Music, Silk Road, Temples

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Comments do not appear straight away, but are moderated before publication

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Search

Subscriptions

Follow our Facebook Page Follow our Tweets Subscribe to our Feed

Subscribe by Email

Email


Shortlink and QR

https://dharma-documentaries.net/b/2tw

Donations

This site has taken more than a dozen years and 1000s of hours to build, and has 800+ documentaries on it. If you would like to help, you can do so here. Even small amounts make a difference.

Copyright

If anyone has any copyright claims please contact me at dharmadocus@gmail.com and the posts and films will be immediately removed.

Top Ten Tags

Theravada
Mahayana
Vajrayana

India
Silk Road
China
Tibet

Arts
Lectures
Rights

Related Posts

  • Dunhuang, Soul of the Dances (8 of 8)
  • Dunhuang, Lost Music of the Stone Chamber (7 of 8)
  • Dunhuang, The Heavenly Dance (6 of 8)
  • Dunhuang, Costumes in the Dunhuang Caves (5 of 8)
  • Dunhuang, Reviving the Heavenly Music (4 of 8)
  • Dunhuang, Exotic Music and Dance (3 of 8)
  • Dunhuang, Flying Apsaras (1 of 8)
  • The Glory of Dunhuang 8, Dancing with Dunhuang
  • The Glory of Dunhuang 6, The Dunhuang Family
  • 26 of the Mogao Caves at Dunhuang in Detail

Recent Posts

  • Tours of the Caves of Dunhuang
  • Angkor Wat, Ancient Hydraulic City
  • The Magical Mountain of Tibet
  • Lords of Water
  • Radioactive Waste, A Nuclear Nightmare
  • Beyond Boundaries, Buddhist Art of Gandhāra
  • The Story of Sudhana, Gallery, Level 4
  • The Story of Sudhana, Balustrade, Level 4
  • The Story of Sudhana, Balustrade, Level 3
  • The Story of Sudhana, Gallery 3, 45-88

Random Posts

  • Saving Mes Aynak
  • A Force More Powerful 06, Chile
  • The Story of Buddhism, 2,300 Years of Buddhist Art
  • Karmapa, The Lion Begins To Roar
  • Regreening the Planet
  • Yu Garden, Shanghai
  • Women Who Make America 1: Awakening
  • Legend of Dajian Huineng
  • Thai Animated Life of Buddha
  • The Story of Buddhism 10, The Search Beyond
© 2023 Dharma Documentaries | Powered by Minimalist Blog WordPress Theme