大盛敦煌
敦煌，位于今中国甘肃省西部，河西走廊的西端，是古代中原进入西域的门户。古敦煌的地域范围包括党河流域和疏勒河流域的广大地区，即今天的敦煌市、瓜州县、玉门市、肃北蒙古族自治县和阿克塞哈萨克族自治县。这里曾经是陆上丝绸之路的重要中转站，被誉为“东西方文明交汇的十字路口”。敦煌的历史更是源远流长，早在新石器时代晚期这里已有人类生活。
“敦煌”一名，最早见于《史记》。东汉应劭解释说“敦，大也。煌，盛也”，就是指又大又繁华的地方。唐李吉甫说“敦，大也，以其开广西域，故以盛名”，认为此地对于开辟西域有重要作用。这些都是按字面意思解释的，也有很多学者认为“敦煌”一词，应是早期当地少数民族所呼地名的音译。汉文史籍将“敦煌”解释成“大盛”，足以说明其在历史上的繁华程度和在连通东西方世界时起到的重要作用。
元狩二年（前121），西汉在河西走廊设武威、酒泉二郡，敦煌地区归酒泉郡管辖。元鼎六年（前111），从酒泉郡中分出独立的敦煌郡。从西汉设敦煌郡至今已有2000多年的历史，敦煌持续见证了2000年来陆上丝绸之路不同时期的历史风貌。
Prosperous Dunhuang
Dunhuang, located in the west of today's Gansu Province, China, is situated at the western end of the Hexi Corridor, making it a gateway from the ancient Central Plains to the Western Regions. The historical territory of Dunhuang encompassed a vast area including the regions of the Danghe and Shule rivers, which corresponds to today's Dunhuang City, Guazhou County, Yumen City, Subei Mongolian Autonomous County and Aksay Kazak Autonomous County. This region was once a crucial transfer station along the overland Silk Road, earning it the title of "crossroads of Eastern and Western civilizations". Dunhuang has a profound, long- standing history: Evidence of human habitation dates back to the late Neolithic period.
The name "Dunhuang" first appeared in Records of the Historian (Shiji). Eastern Han-dynasty (25-220 AD) scholar Ying Shao interpreted it as "Dun, meaning large; Huang, meaning flourishing", referring to a place that is both vast and prosperous. "Dun is large," stated Tang-dynasty scholar Li Jifu, "and because it opens up a vast western region, it has a great reputation," emphasizing the area's significant role in the development of the Western Regions. These interpretations are largely literal; however, many scholars believe that the term "Dunhuang" may be a transliteration of the place name used by early local ethnic minorities. Regardless, the interpretation of "Dunhuang" as "great prosperity" in Han-dynasty historical texts underscores its historical significance and the crucial role it played in connecting the Eastern and Western worlds.
In 121 BC, the Western Han Dynasty established Wuwei and Jiuquan prefectures in the Hexi Corridor, placing the Dunhuang region under the jurisdiction of Jiuquan. In 111 BC, Dunhuang became an independent prefecture. Since its establishment as a prefecture over 2,000 years ago, Dunhuang has nourished the historical landscape of the overland Silk Road for two millennia.
