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Travelogue Silk Road / China

The Celestial Silk Road

Series: Silk Road: Related programs

HD

100879

The Celestial Silk Road
  • 1 x 52 min.
  • Clean, M/E + English
  • English script
  • 2002
  • © NHK

Beautiful women float serenely among images of Bodhisattvas, dragons, phoenixes and peacocks on cave frescoes recently discovered in Tibet. These paintings, dating back to the 11th century, provide clues to the nature of Buddhism. Some of the paintings depict deities not found in present-day Tibetan Buddhism, and many of the animals shown are not native to this region. The stories told by Tantric mandalas, beautifully illustrated Buddhist texts and exotic "flying ladies" can only hint at the lavish kingdom of Guge that once existed on this remote Tibetan plateau. Capturing these frescoes for the first time on high-definition, this fascinating documentary probes into the mystery of these magnificent relics.

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