Dazzling New Historical Epic: Dunhuang Heroes: 敦煌英雄

Section of a wall mural commemorating the victory of Zhang Yichao- the founder of the Guiyi Circuit over the Tibetan Empire, Mogao Cave 156, Late Tang Dynasty (9th century).

Music: Daxia2049

After having lost the west for some 60 years, a miracle happened. The forsaken west again rose in your name and your banners were again flown in those long abandoned frontiers. This was the era and context where the new blockbuster action movie "Dunhuang Heroes" 敦煌英雄 took place in. For those of you who enjoys a hefty dose of authenticity in their historical productions, you are in good hands. "Dunhuang Heroes" is made by the team that did the "Longest Day in Chang An" and from all appearances it will be an ambitious production. The movie is set to be release in 12-22-2022 in CN.

Historical context: unlike "The Longest Day of Chang'An" which serve to showcase the Tang dynasty at its heady heights- during the height of the period known as "High Tang" 盛唐, or "Prosperous Tang" pegged to the reign of Emperor Xuangzong Li Longji (and before the catastrophic calamity of the An Lushan Rebellion.) "Dunhuang Heroes" is all about the aftermath after this glorious age as Tang struggles for its life against enemies both from within and without. The rebellion severely upended Tang political order and caused tens of millions of deaths across the empire. 

Taking advantage of Tang weakness, the Tibetan Empire invaded from the west while Tang was distracted putting down the last of the rebels in the northeast. As a result of these compounding disasters, Tang lost nearly half of all of its territory in the west to the Tibetans and Tang begrudgingly pardoned the remaining An Lushan holdouts in the northeast. In time these Jeidushi- (nominally Tang allied vassals) would become disloyal warlords. Worse yet, within the Tang imperial court, eunuchs took over and kept the Tang emperors as imprisoned hostages. This was the picture of Mid and Late Tang. However it was also at this time, after the west had fell for some 60 years, that surprising news broke out from the long lost west. A pro-Tang west resurrected and again flown the Tang banners in those haunted reaches. 

If this wizened warrior looks vaguely familiar it's because he is played by Lei Jiayin who was the main character of "Longest Day of Chang'An" Zhang Xiaojing. Promotional materials have pegged his movie counterpart's name also as "Zhang Xiaojing" (as in he reprises his old role and we get to see the continuation of that character) so it is likely we get to see him in a flashback as one of the grizzled old warriors who fought and likely fell in the disasters that lost the west. 

DUNHUNG HEROES TRAILER

SETTING

Shazhou (Sha "Sand" Prefecture,) or modern Dunhuang. It was an important convergence of all trade and pilgrimage traffic along the long neck of the Hexi Corridor. Because of strategic location Dunhuang was frequently intermittently used as a toll station, caravansary, pilgrimage center, and military garrison. The pagoda-like design of the Mogao Caves not only provided for an imposing facade for the grottoes but was also designed so as to survive the wind blast and earthquakes endemic to the region.

Mid Tang: Map of the Tang dynasty in 779 shortly after the ascension of emperor Dezong of Tang.Yellow represents the Tang empire, blue represents contested western territories lost to the resurgent Tibetan Empire, red represents the highly independent military circuits under the command of ambitious and autonomous warlords called the Jiedushi. The Tang emperors at this time were not only threatened externally by repeated Tibetan incursions but also by these ruthless vassals, who at times were even brazen enough to slay the emperor's own chancellors right in the capital. 

The strategically vital area- located in the narrow Hexi Corridor essentially served as the only vital conduit between the western and eastern halves of the empire. Because nearly all traffic between east and west travels through this chokepoint Dunhuang became one of the most important Buddhist pilgrimage sites.  Many important patrons who had made donations to the monasteries that dotted the region had their likenesses intricately preserved in these cave murals. 

"THE RETURN TO RITEOUSNESS ARMY"

The film will chronical the uprising of general Zhang Yichao 張義朝 who- although born from a Tang descended family, is born under the rule of the Tibetan empire and long estranged from Tang to the east. By the time Zhang was born Tang was completely pushed out of the West and the Hexi Corridor as a whole along with much of what was the Tang's western regions in what is today's Xinjiang and Qinghai Provinces have all been taken by the Tibetan overlords. Many decades later, when the Tibetan Emperor was assassinated by a fanatic and the whole empire disintegrated in chaos, these regions fell under the sway of various Tibetan remnant warlords. 

Seeing their chance, various groups of secretly still Tang- loyalist Hans, Sogdians, and Uighurs revolted under Zhang's leadership and retook the west in the name of the "Tang" once again resurrecting this long lost corner and placing it back in Tang's hands. By 850 Zhang had captured Ganzhou, Suzhou, and Yizhou. Zhang claimed the title of acting prefect of Shazhou and submitted a petition to Emperor Xuānzong of Tang (spelled differently), offering his loyalty and submission. In 851 Zhang captured Xizhou (Gaochang). 

Cao Yijin- Zhang's partner and in time, ruler of the Guiyi Ciruit.

Envoys from Shazhou reached the Tang court and the approving emperor responded enthusiastically by naming Zhang's territory the Guiyi Circuit "Return to Righteousness" Circuit (a warlord's domain in late Tang) and made Zhang Yichao the military governor of the Circuit and Cao Yijin- his partner his secretary general.

PRODUCTION STILLS: TIBETAN ARMOR

Movie still of the various Tibetan nobles. At this time Tibetan power was still felt in the western swathes. Only a century prior, Tibetan power was at its zenith under the rule of its emperor Trisong Detsen who extended the realm as far as Nepal, and the Ferghana Valley, and had great sway in the modern Indian regions of Manipur and Bengal. However all of those gains would be unraveled unexpectedly, when the last Tibetan Emperor was assassinated by a Buddhist fanatic, the empire unravelled and civil war erupted across its realm between competing Tibetan warlords. 

The movie's Tibetan armor seemed to be heavily inspired by the Tibetan armors kept from the Ming and Qing dynasties. However there is a noted reason for this. Due to Tibet's geographical and cultural isolation, Tibetan armors over many centuries remained the same as they were from prior eras. Contemporary records detailed that the Tibetan cavalry are very heavily armored and serve as a deadly armored maul against opponents in the open.

The men and horses all wear chain mail armor. Its workmanship is extremely fine. It envelops them completely, leaving openings only for the two eyes. Thus, strong bows and sharp swords cannot injure them. Their archery is weak but their armor is strong.

— Du You 

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