民族融合之地
中国的河西走廊自古就是多民族聚居之地，地处河西走廊西端、丝绸之路咽喉的敦煌更是如此，史称“华戎所交一都会”。历史上，曾经有汉、羌、乌孙、月氏、匈奴、鲜卑、吐谷浑、粟特、吐蕃、回鹘、党项、蒙古等各民族在这里杂居生活，见证了各民族共同书写中国悠久历史的事实。这些民族不断创造和传承灿烂辉煌、各具特色的民族文化，并最终汇流到中华民族优秀传统文化的海洋。
在敦煌留存下来的古代文献中，不仅有汉文文献，还有大量用其他民族文字书写的文献，如古藏文、回鹘文、粟特文、于阗文、西夏文、蒙古文（含八思巴文）等，记录了丝绸之路上各民族交往、交流、融合的历史；在敦煌壁画中，不仅有汉族人物，还有鲜卑、粟特、吐蕃、回鹘、党项、蒙古等民族人物，生动地反映了敦煌古代各民族共同生活的情景。这些资料证明了敦煌自古以来就是多民族共同建立和发展的，真实地印证了中华文明的统一性特征。
Hub of Ethnic Integration
The Hexi Corridor in China has long been a region of diverse ethnic habitation, and Dunhuang, located at the western end of the Corridor, made it an unavoidable waypoint of the Silk Road through which people originating from all places passed. Historically described as "the intersection of China and the Rong tribes, a hub for all", Dunhuang has been home to various ethnic groups including the Han, Qiang, Wusun, Yuezhi, Xiongnu, Xianbei, Tuyuhun, Sogdian, Tubo, Uighur, Tangut, Mongolian, and others. Co-existing and laterally contributing to the rich tapestry of China's long history, these ethnic groups continually nurtured and passed on individually vibrant, distinctive cultures, which eventually merged into the ocean of outstanding traditional culture embraced by the Chinese nation.
The ancient documents preserved in Dunhuang include not only a wealth of Han Chinese literature but also a significant volume of texts in other ethnic scripts such as ancient Tibetan, Uighur, Sogdian, Khotanese, Tangut, and Mongolian (including Phags-pa script). These texts record a history of interaction, exchanges, and integration among various ethnic groups along the Silk Road. Moreover, the murals in Dunhuang depict not only Han figures but also individuals from ethnic groups such as the Xianbei, Sogdian, Tubote, Uighur, Tangut, and Mongolian, vividly illustrating scenes of communal life involving different ethnicities. These materials prove that Dunhuang has historically been a site of shared establishment and development by multiple ethnic groups, authentically reflecting the unifying characteristics of Chinese civilization.
