听！听！响了两千年的驼铃 | 24 Solar Terms: Qiufen (Autumn Equinox)

今年9月22日，即农历八月初六，是第十六个节气——秋分。这一天，太阳直射地球赤道，24小时昼夜均分，全球无极昼极夜现象。

September 22, or the 6th of the eighth month of Chinese lunar calendar, marks Qiufen (Autumn Equinox), the 16th solar term of this year. The sun is directly above equator, resulting in an equal division of day and night, no polar day or polar night around the globe.

古时有“春祭日，秋祭月”的民俗活动，秋分曾是传统的“祭月节”（中秋节），中秋节由秋夕祭月演变而来。明清皇帝在北京月坛举行祭月仪式。

In ancient times, sacrifices were offered to the sun on Chunfen (Spring Equinox) and to the moon on Qiufen (Autumn Equinox). Qiufen was originally the traditional festival to offer sacrifices to the moon, which was changed to the Mid-autumn day (15th of the eighth month of Chinese lunar calendar) when the moon is full. Emperors of the Ming and Qing dynasties held sacrificial ceremonies at the Temple of the Moon in Beijing.

月坛 The Temple of the Moon / www.trip.com

– 吃秋菜 Eating Qiucai (autumn vegetable)

在岭南地区，秋分时节人们采摘野苋菜，和鱼片做成“秋汤”，以求家宅安宁，身体康健。

In South China, villagers go to pick Qiucai (a kind of wild amaranth) to make Qiutang (autumn soup) with fish, wishing for a safe family and healthy body.

秋菜 Cooked Qiucai / chinadaily.com

– 桂花鸭 Osmanthus Duck

桂花飘香的秋日，南京人用桂花卤盐水鸭制成桂花鸭，肥而不腻，味美可口。

When sweet osmanthus flowers bloom in autumn, people in Nanjing make scrumptious osmanthus salted duck.

干桂花 Dried osmanthus flower

– 竖蛋 Standing eggs on end

春分和秋分时，人们会玩竖鸡蛋的游戏，认为在南北半球昼夜等长的日子，地球地轴与公转轨道平面处于一种力的相对平衡状态，更容易将鸡蛋竖起来，也寄予了人们对生命、生育的敬畏和崇敬之情。

On the Spring Equinox and Autumn Equinox, the day and night are of equal time both in the southern and northern hemispheres. The earth’s axis, on its 66.5-degree tilt, is in a relative balance of power with the earth’s orbit around the sun. Thus, it is a very conducive time for standing eggs on end. The game is also a way to show people’s respect and reverence for life and fertility.

竖蛋 Two children try to make eggs stand on end / Asianewsphoto.com

秋季过半逐渐进入冬季，这是深秋最美的季节。丝绸之路的节点城市敦煌，洁白饱满的棉桃，叮当作响的驼铃，是大漠里鲜活的风景。

It’s been halfway through autumn into the most beautiful season. The white cotton bolls and ringing camel bells at Dunhuang, a major connection point on the Silk Road, are part of the most vivid landscape in the desert.

视频由新华社CNC提供

Video provided by China Xinhua News Network Corporation

敦煌风韵 Nature of Dunhuang

在河西走廊的最西端，是丝路明珠敦煌。鸣沙山峰如削成，月牙泉涓流不息。

Dunhuang, the pearl of the Silk Road, is located at the westernmost end of Hexi Corridor, where Mingsha Mountain’s steep dunes (Echoing-sand Mountain) reach up to the sky and Crescent Lake never dries.

鸣沙山 Mingsha Mountain’s steep dunes (Echoing-sand Mountain) / Image by eltonjohn1973

月牙泉 Crescent Lake / 张耘 Zhang Yun

Photo by Steve Long

敦煌雅丹国家地质公园

Dunhuang Yardang National Geopark

视频由甘肃省文化和旅游厅提供

Video provided by Gansu Provincial Department of Culture and Tourism

敦煌遗韵 Cultural Heritage of Dunhuang

“西出阳关无故人”、“春风不度玉门关”，两座汉代设立的关隘，通往西域的南北门户，在茫茫戈壁中，目送多少人走过千年岁月。

“West of the Sunny Pass no more friends will be seen”; “Beyond the Pass of Jade no vernal wind will blow”. The Sunny Pass (Yangguan) and Pass of Jade (Yumenguan) depicted in numerous poems, have been guarding the Western Regions in the south and the north respectively for thousands of years since the Han dynasty as silent witnesses in the vast Gobi desert.

玉门关（世界文化遗产） Yumenguan (World Cultural Heritage)

P26

阳关 Yangguan

鸣沙山东麓、宕泉河西岸的断崖上，莫高窟的735个洞窟（492个洞窟存有壁画和塑像）、4.5万平方米的壁画、3000余身彩塑，以从前秦建窟以来各个历史时期的艺术风格，讲述着佛教义理和故事。作为世界上现存规模最大、内容最丰富的佛教艺术地，于1987年被联合国教科文组织列入《世界遗产名录》。

Carved into the cliffs on the west bank of Dangquan River to the east of Mingsha Mountain,the Mogao Caves south-east of the Dunhuang oasis, Gansu province, comprise thelargest, most richly endowed, and longest used treasure house of Buddhist artin the world. The 45,000 square meters of murals and over 2,000painted sculptures in 492 out of 735 caves are telling Buddhist doctrineand stories with various art styles of the dynasties ever sinceits establishment in the Former Qin dynasty (351-395). It was inscribed on UNESCO’s World Heritage List in 1987.

莫高窟 Mogao Caves

莫高窟第285窟-西魏 Cave 285 – Western Wei dynasty

莫高窟第158窟释尊涅槃像-中唐 Buddha in Nirvana, Cave 158 – Mid-Tang dynasty

敦煌艺韵 Art of Dunhuang

取材敦煌壁画的中国经典舞剧《丝路花雨》，讲述的是古丝绸之路上，善良淳朴的中国父女为救助外国商人，所发生的亲人悲欢离合，友人生死相助、患难与共的感人故事……它以别具一格的艺术风格，将瑰丽多彩的敦煌壁画搬上舞台，艺术形象地再现了敦煌文化的博大精深和古丝绸之路繁荣昌盛的辉煌景象。

Inspired by a Dunhuang mural, “Silk Road, Flower Rain”is a Chinese classic dance drama featuring a touching story on the ancient SilkRoad that portrays family separation and reunion, strong friendship whichsurvives a life-and-death struggle and hardship surrounding a kind daughter,her father, and a foreign businessman they try to save. The performancepresents the colorful mural on stage with distinctive artistic style, and vividlyrecreates through arts the former glory of Gansu in terms of its profoundDunhuang culture and prosperous Silk Road.

甘肃歌剧舞剧院 Gansu Opera and Dance Theater

敦煌食韵 Cuisine of Dunhuang

东西方文明在此交融汇聚，塑造了独具魅力的敦煌文化和中西兼容的敦煌菜。驴肉黄面、牛羊肉合汁、羊杂碎、酿皮、泡儿油糕、烤全羊，无论是风味美食还是特色小吃，城市烟火气息在清晨、在日暮，在每个温暖的瞬间，时时上演着。华灯初上，夜幕降临，约三五好友，欢坐一堂，用跳动的味蕾找寻街巷里千滋百味的陇原食韵，正所谓“最食人间烟火色，且以美食慰风尘“。

The interaction and fusion of Western and Eastern civilizations shape the unique Dunhuang culture and Dunhuang cuisine. Donkey meat noodles, beef and lamb soup, grilled whole sheep, haggis soup, niangpi (steamed cold noodles) and fried cake,etc. – both the common dishes and special snacks are enjoyed by people in every moment of day or night and they enrich the city atmosphere. In the evening, browsing the local restaurants, you can enjoy a delicious but affordable dinner with your friends, or you can have a great time together enjoying the delightful street food. As the saying goes, a nice meal will comfort and refresh the adventurous traveler, so let’s eat from the delicious local food to strengthen our mind and body.

驴肉黄面等面食 Donkey meat noodles and others