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Inspiration of the Silk Road Fantasy: On the Application of Dunhuang Cultural Elements in the Scene Art of the Film "House of Flying Daggers"

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DOI: 10.23977/mediacr.2026.070212 | Downloads: 0 | Views: 80

Author(s)

Kang Huanyu 1

Affiliation(s)

1 Chengdu Neusoft University, Chengdu, Sichuan, China

Corresponding Author

Kang Huanyu

ABSTRACT

The Mogao Caves in Dunhuang, as a precious crystallization of the intermingling of diverse civilizations along the Silk Road, embody the unique aesthetic traits of the collision and coexistence of Western Regions' customs and Central Plains' civilizations. Their ethereal and fantastical painting language and graceful and dynamic sculptural style embody the aesthetic core of the intermingling of multiple cultures, providing rich and precious artistic nourishment for the creation of Chinese film and television art. When director Zhang Yimou was shooting "House of Flying Daggers" around 2004, he used Dunhuang culture as a strong support for the overall artistic atmosphere of the film, and ingeniously incorporated Dunhuang cultural elements into the film's scene art design, allowing the audience to feel the visual charm of the film's scene art as if they were walking into that colorful era.

KEYWORDS

Dunhuang cultural elements; Ambush on all sides; Scene art; Pattern designs; Five-color view

CITE THIS PAPER

Kang Huanyu. Inspiration of the Silk Road Fantasy: On the Application of Dunhuang Cultural Elements in the Scene Art of the Film "House of Flying Daggers". Media and Communication Research (2026). Vol. 7, No. 2, 117-126. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.23977/mediacr.2026.070212.

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