元荣

元荣

元荣（?—约541），又名元太荣，北魏至西魏时期的瓜州刺史，为皇室宗亲。北魏为加强河西统治，孝昌元年（525）任命宗室元荣为瓜州刺史治理敦煌，永安二年（529）封元荣为东阳王。在北魏末年的乱世，元荣团结敦煌地方的豪强大族，保持了这里的社会安定。西魏时期，元荣继续管理敦煌。

永安至永熙（528—534）间，他曾出巨资写经10余部，包括现藏于中国国家图书馆的BD.09525《仁王护国般若波罗蜜经》、法国国家图书馆P.2143《大智度论》等。史载元荣还在莫高窟开凿了一个大窟，莫高窟第285窟洞窟规模宏大、绘塑精湛，被认为可能是元荣主持开凿的，因此也被称为“东阳王窟”。

Yuan Rong

Yuan Rong (?-c. 541), also known as Yuan Tairong, was governor of Guazhou during the Northern Wei (386-534) and Western Wei (535-556) periods and a member of the imperial family. He was appointed governor of Guazhou in 525, in an effort to strengthen control over Hexi, and was granted the title of Prince of Dongyang in 529, to oversee Dunhuang. During the chaotic times at the end of the Northern Wei Dynasty, Yuan Rong united the local powers in Dunhuang to maintain social stability in the region. Throughout the Western Wei period, he continued to manage Dunhuang, ensuring its governance and prosperity amidst a turbulent political landscape.

From 528 to 534, Yuan Rong invested heavily in transcribing over 10 Buddhist sutras including Karunikarāja prajñāpāramitā sūtra (BD.09525), currently housed in the National Library of China, and Mahāprajñāpāramitopadeśa (P.2143), in Bibliothèque Nationale de France, the National Library of France. Historical records show that Yuan also excavated a large cave at Mogao, known as Cave 285, which features grand scale, exquisite paintings, and painted statues. This cave is believed to have been constructed under his direction and is therefore also referred to as the "Cave of the Prince of Dongyang".