Love stories depicted on Dunhuang murals

[Photo/Dunhuang Research Academy]

The mural at Cave No 428 shows a young man picking flowers on a tree for his beloved sitting below. The two are a newly-wed couple and are enjoying the spring scenery in a beautiful garden in their big house. The young wife says she wants a flower and her husband climbs the tree without hesitation. After picking one flower, the husband wants to step on a branch to pick another, but the branch is too slender to bear him. The man falls down and dies. A romantic scene suddenly turns tragic. It shows it's important to always cherish our lives and lovers.