张议潮
张议潮（799—872），沙州人，唐代著名的英雄人物。安史之乱后，吐蕃趁机攻占唐土，包括敦煌在内的河西广大地区陷入吐蕃之手。张议潮出生于陷蕃后的敦煌，早年就读于寺学，长大后担任吐蕃沙州刺史一职。
公元842年，吐蕃发生内乱，河西人民陷入了水深火热之中。河陇各地的吐蕃守将思想混乱，兵防空虚。唐王朝乘此时机，决心收复河湟。大中二年（848），张议潮率众起义，驱逐吐蕃统治者，一举收复瓜、沙二州，并派出多队使节设法赴长安向唐王朝报捷。与此同时，张议潮率领起义军继续收复河西其他地区。
大中五年（851），敦煌的使者终于抵达长安，献上瓜、沙、伊、西、甘、肃、兰、鄯、河、岷、廓等十一州图籍。唐宣宗接到报捷之后，特下诏表彰张议潮等人的忠勇和功勋。唐王朝于沙州建立归义军，统领瓜沙十一州，授张议潮归义军节度使、十一州观察使。河西归唐，张议潮领导的大中起义起到了主要作用。张议潮在河西重振了大唐声威，莫高窟第94、98、85窟均绘有他的供养像。莫高窟第156窟被认为是张议潮的功德窟，主室绘有长卷式《河西节度使张议潮统军出行图》。
Zhang Yichao
Zhang Yichao (799-872), a native of Shazhou, was a renowned hero of the Tang Dynasty (618-907). After the An Lushan Rebellion (755-763), Tubo forces took advantage of the chaos to occupy Tang territory. The vast Hexi region, including Dunhuang, fell under Tubote control. Zhang was born in Dunhuang after it was occupied by the Tubotes. He studied in a monastic school in his early years and later served as the governor of Shazhou under Tubote rule.
In 842, civil strife erupted in Tubo, plunging the people of Hexi into turmoil. Tubote military commanders in various regions of Hexi had a poor grasp of the situation and left weak defenses. The Tang Dynasty was determined to reclaim Hexi as the window of opportunity emerged. In 848, Zhang Yichao led a rebellion to expel the Tubote rulers, successfully recovering Guazhou and Shazhou. He dispatched multiple delegations to Chang'an to report the victory to the Tang Dynasty while continuing to lead the rebel army in reclaiming other areas of Hexi.
In 851, the envoys from Dunhuang finally arrived in Chang'an, presenting maps and records of 11 regions including Guazhou, Shazhou, Yizhou, Xizhou, Ganzhou, Suzhou, Lanzhou, Shanzhou, Hezhou, Minzhou, and Kuozhou. Upon receiving the good news, Emperor Xuanzong of Tang issued an edict to commend Zhang and his men for their loyalty, bravery, and achievements. Royal Tang established the Guiyijun Regime in Shazhou to oversee the above- mentioned 11 regions, appointing Zhang as the military governor and supervisor of these regions. The uprising led by Zhang was a key turning point in the return of Hexi to the Tang regime, and Zhang then revitalized Tang's prestige in Hexi. His patron statues were enshrined in caves 94, 98, and 85 of the Mogao Caves. Cave 156 is regarded as the cave of his achievements and features a long scroll painting titled Outing Scene of Zhang Yichao.
