Journal articles on the topic 'Bo xian le qi'

“Huo” 或 in “Heng Xian” 恆先 of the Chu bamboo slips in the Shanghai Museum is a significant concept in cosmology and cosmogony. “Huo,” as a cosmogonic period, is after “heng” 恆 (the permanent), but prior to qi 氣 (material force), hence it is relatively important. This term in the manuscript is used as an indefinite pronoun, meaning “something”, rather than “exist” (as a verb), “indefinitely/ maybe” (as an adverb) or “a state between being and nothingness”. However, in the cosmogonic sequence, it is indeed intermediate between nothingness (“heng xian”, the permanent beginning) and being (qi, or you 有, being/to be). That “huo,” as an indefinite pronoun, can be used as a philosophical concept is testified by “Bai Xin” 白心(Purifying the Heart-mind) in the Book of Guanzi 管子 and “Ze yang” 則陽 in the Book of Zhuangzi, in which the term “huo” also means “something.” “Heng Xian” uses an indefinite pronoun “huo” to refer to a stage in the genesis of the cosmos. This shows, on the one hand, that its author has contemplated cosmology more profoundly; on the other hand, it shows that the author’s knowledge about the structure of cosmogony has not yet been fully developed. Moreover, the concepts “huo” and “heng xian” both develop the notion implicit in the concept of “heng.”

Statement of the problem. The twentieth century marked an increased interest in polyphonic music. The geography of polyphonic works for piano expanded significantly and a creative development of many Chinese composers, writing polyphonic piano pieces, took place. Today, polyphonic pieces make up a significant part of the piano repertoire in China, but they are little studied by musicologists and performers. The objective of this study – to reveal the contribution of Chinese composers to the creation of polyphonic piano repertoire of the XX – early XXI century. Analysis of the research and publications on the theme. А large number of modern authors study polyphony from the point of physical and mathematical research methods (Igarashi, Yu. & Ito, Masashi & Ito, Akinori, 2013; Weiwei, Zhang & Zhe, Chen, & Fuliang, Yin, 2016; Li, Xiaoquan et al. others, 2018). This approach does not reveal the factual musical component of polyphonic genres. In the 20th century, musicologists explored polyphony in musical folklore (Wiant, 1936; Fan Zuyin, 2004; Li Hong, 2015) and in professional Chinese composing (Sun Wei-bo, 2006, Winzenburg, 2018). The scientific novelty. This article studies the role of Chinese composers in the development of the world polyphonic piano repertoire of the XX – early XXI century. The methodological basis for the analysis of polyphonic works was the theoretical concepts of P. Hindemith, Peng Cheng, Fang Zuin, Li Hong, Sun Wei-bo. The results of the study. The research outcomes demonstrate the evolutionary development of the genre diversity of Chinese piano polyphony as well as those composers who created magnificent musical pieces. Conclusions. Chinese composers have fully mastered the art of modern counterpoint, represented by the genres of polyphonic program pieces (He Lu Ting), invention (Xiao Shu Xian, Du Qian, Sun Yun Yin, Chen Chen Quang), polyphonic suite (Ma Gui), large polyphonic cycle ( He Shao, Chen Hua Do, Xiao Shu Xian), fugue (Li Jun Yong, Yu Su Yan, Chen Gang, Tian Lei Lei, Duan Ping Tai, Zheng Zhong, Xiao Shu Xian) and small cycle “Prelude and Fugue” (Ding Shan Te, Chen Zhi Ming, Wang Li Shan). Creatively assimilating and rethinking the experience of Western polyphonists, Chinese composers have filled their polyphonic works with national features, firmly linking them with the origins of Chinese traditional and folk music. The polyphonic way of transmitting musical material becomes the most expressive at the moments of profound creativity and musical dramatization.

In one word, Luo Qin-shun criticized the philosophical syncretic attitude of Zhan Ruo-Shui as being similar to Yang Xiong and despised that Zhan Ruo-Shui was inferior to Yang Xiong. Yang Xiong made a third claim that good and evil coexist. Yang Xiong was criticized for his half-hearted attitude that none of these occasional thoughts could be determined. Luo, Qin-Shun criticized Zhan, Ruo-Shui for presenting a third eclectic plan, but rather for his own motive, he insisted on an eclectic combination of Chen, Xian-Zhang and Cheng-Zhu. In fact, Luo, Qin-Shun despised that the academic motivation of Zhan, Ruo-Shui was less pure than that of Yang Xiong. Arranging the eclectic attitude of the philosophical medicine greatly expanded my mind and insisted that Tian-li should be embodied in all things in the world. It is said that if you reach a great heart, your heart will reach the middle-right, and if you reach the middle-right, your heart will naturally activate and respond to it. He claims that he is the orthodox of Neo-Confucianism because his body certification Tian-li was approved by Chen, Xian-Zhang. Internally, he notices the body of the mind through perception, recognizes Tian-li of all things through reason, and as a result, the mind and the outside are united inside and outside. In other words, it looks like a mind study that ostensibly realizes the body of the mind, but in reality it is so similar to the scholarship of Cheng Yi and Zhu Xi. From the Cheng-Zhu perspective, the theory of Li-Qi one combine has already had the idea of looking at in two from the word combine, and there remains the problem of excluding that is not middle-right in the theory of middle-right. Even from the logic of human anmal nature theory, we do not clearly distinguish between heaven earth nature and temperament nature. Luo, Qin-Shun points out this point. From Mind study point of view, the discussion about the whole of Chen, Xian-Zhang is also avoided by Ben ti. This point is a problem for Luo, Qin-Shun. It limits the philosophy of Zhan, Ruo-Shui in that it is not hazy from the Cheng-Zhu side and cannot show a deep inner layer difference from the psychological side.

Background.Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), when given as a therapy for symptom relief, has gained widespread popularity among diabetic patients. The aim of this study is to analyze the utilization of TCM among type 2 diabetic patients in Taiwan.Methods.The use of TCM for type 2 diabetic patients were evaluated using a randomly sampled cohort of 1,000,000 beneficiaries recruited from the National Health Insurance Research Database.Results.Overall, 77.9%(n=31,289)of type 2 diabetic patients utilized TCM and 13.9%(n=4,351)of them used TCM for the treatment of type 2 diabetes. Among the top ten most frequently prescribed herbal formulae, four remedies,Zhi-Bo-Di-Huang-Wan, Qi-Ju-Di-Huang-Wan, Ji-Sheng-Shen-Qi-WanandBa-Wei-Di-Huang-Wanare derivative formulae ofLiu-Wei-Di-Huang-Wan.In other words,Liu-Wei-Di-Huang-Wanand its derivatives were found to be the most common herbal formulae prescribed by TCM doctors for the treatment of diabetes in Taiwan.Conclusion.Although some evidence does support the use TCM to treat diabetes, the results from the current study may have been confounded by placebo effect, which emphasize the need for well conducted, double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled studies in order to further evaluate the efficacy ofLiu-Wei-Di-Huang-Wanon patients with type 2 diabetes.

Abstract Background: Targeting programmed cell death-1 (PD-1) or programmed cell death ligand-1 (PD-L1) has been shown improved clinical efficacy in a wide range of tumor types. We evaluated serum interleukin 14α (IL14α) as a biomarker to predict the response of anti- PD-1 therapy. Patients and methods: Thirty advanced cancer patients treated with PD-1 inhibitor were enrolled in this study. Serum levels of IL-14α were tested at baseline and after 2 cycles of treatment. Result: Among these 30 patients, the mean expression level of IL14α before treatment was 2.1±1.21, whereas the mean level of IL14α after 2 cycles was 1.99±0.82. There were no association between the expression levels of IL14α and clinical outcome. Early change of IL14α after 2-cycles of anti-PD-1 therapy was calculated as delta IL14α % change = (IL14α level after 2 cycles - IL14α level before treatment)/IL14α level before treatment*100%. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) was analyzed to get a cutoff point of delta IL14α % change as 2.46% (Sensitivity 85.71%, Specificity 62.5%; AUC=0.7277, P=0.034). Using this cutoff to subgroup the patients, we found higher delta IL14α % change was significantly associated with superior overall response to anit-PD-1 therapy (p=0.0072) and had a better progression free survival (p=0.0039). Conclusion: Early changes of serum IL14α level may be a useful predicting factor in advanced cancer patients with anti-PD-1 therapy. Keywords: IL14α, serum biomarker, anti-PD-1 therapy response, cancer Citation Format: Bu Hai Wang, Cai Yue Chen, Xian Zhang, Yu Xiang Huang, Yi Chun Zeng, Lei Li, Mao Qi Wang, Jing Liang Guo, Qiu Xian Li, Long Shen, Juan J. Gu, Yi Chen Liang. The early change of serum interleukin 14α levels predicts the response to anti-PD-1 therapy in cancer [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2022; 2022 Apr 8-13. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2022;82(12_Suppl):Abstract nr 5091.

Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) herbs are commonly regarded to be safe with minimal toxicities in Chinese communities. Cancer patients who are receiving Western oncology therapy often concurrently take TCM herbs for anticancer and symptom relief purposes. We performed a literature review for current evidence on TCM herb–induced liver injury from an oncological perspective. A literature search on PubMed was performed to identify publications regarding TCM herbs and concoctions with hepatoprotective or hepatotoxic properties. Lists of commonly used herbs and their causality levels were compiled. In view of the wide range of evidence available, cases assessed by the well-established RUCAM (Roussel Uclaf Causality Assessment Method) algorithm were categorized as the highest level of evidence. More than one case of TCM herb–induced liver injury was confirmed by RUCAM in the following herbs and concoctions: Lu Cha ( Camellia sinensis), Bai Xian Pi ( Dictamnus dasycarpus), Tu San Qi ( Gynura segetum), Jin Bu Huan ( Lycopodium serratum), He Shou Wu ( Polygoni multiflora), Ge Gen ( Pueraria lobata), Dan Lu Tong Du tablet, Shou Wu Pian, Xiao Chai Hu Tang, Xiao Yin pill, and Yang Xue Sheng Fa capsule. Finally, TCM with anticancer or symptom relief uses were discussed in detail with regard to their hepatotoxic or hepatoprotective properties.

The author analyzes the history of the unique mountain-shaped ancient ritual vessels – Boshanlu (博山爐) censers, known in China since the Western Han era (202 BC – 8 AD), based on research obtained through written, archaeological and museum sources, as well as material from the author’s field research in East Asia. The mountain-shaped censer openly embodies symbols of Taoist interpretations of the holy 仙 xian and the search for immortality. Subsequently, once the incense burners began to incorporate Buddhist symbols, they gained great importance in Buddhist ritual practices. The design of these vessels gradually transformed under the influence of Buddhism, as Taoist symbols were phased out in favor of various Buddhist attributes. These incense burners became an integral decorative element of the Buddhist altar (alongside flower vases and candlesticks). Having ceased its time of mass use in the post-Han years, Boshanlu censer have not completely disappeared. Their memory has survived among burial imagery, cave and stone bas-reliefs and Buddhist-themed sculptural compositions. The article provides the research of the most prominent issues of the Southern Liang, Northern Qi and Sui dynasties’ cultural heritage (second half of the 6th century) and shows their influence on the Boshanlu censers’ exterior and similarities of the latter with the gilt-bronze Baekje (百済金銅大香爐) incense burner. After a profound analysis, taking into account latest research, the symbolism which encompassed Baekje incense burners (at the turn of the 6–7th centuries) has been found to contain common features with the Chinese mountain-shaped censers, characterized by elements that allow this vessel to be classified as a unique item, symbolically reflecting an entire complex of various religious and philosophical representations, including Taoist-Buddhist concepts, local cults and local versions of palace ceremonies and everyday practices of the people of the state of Baekje.

Abstract Objective This research aims to investigate the best “Te Ding Dian Ci Bo Pu Zhi Liao Qi” (TDP) irradiation duration to enhance the efficacy of nursing and patient satisfaction. Methods A total of 34 eligible patients were randomly divided into the treatment group (n=18) and the control group (n=16) between December 2015 and December 2016. Qualitative and quantitative studies were combined to create an impersonal evaluation of incision pain score, time of stitches removal, duration of hospital stays, patient satisfaction, and subjective experience due to different TDP irradiation durations. Results The incision pain scores of the treatment group were 3.06±0.899 and 1.35±0.493 before and after treatment, respectively (P< 0.05), whereas those of the control group were 2.46±1.127 and 1.0±0.707 before and after treatment, respectively (P<0.05). No significant difference was found between the treatment group and the control group (P>0.05). The time of stitches removal and the duration of hospital stays of the treatment group were 14.85±4.070 and 19.08±6.652, respectively, whereas those of the control group were 14.08±0.641 and 23.15±10.72 (P>0.05), respectively. The patient satisfaction degree score of the treatment group was 2.77±0.439, whereas that of the control group was 2.08±0.954 (P< 0.05). Conclusions TDP irradiation can effectively relieve the incision pain of patients after lumbar spinal surgery. The treatment group is superior to the control group in patient satisfaction.

Abstract Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the most common malignant tumors in China. Apatinib is a small molecule TKI inhibitor. Its efficacy and safety for unresectable HCC patients have been demonstrated in randomized controlled clinical studies. However, the efficacy and safety of apatinib in real world is lacking. We are aiming to evaluate the efficacy and safety of apatinib in real world.MethodsPatients of older than 18 years with unresectable HCC confirmed by IHC (Immunohistochemistry) or CT and MR Imaging were enrolled in the study. All patients received apatinib monotherapy or combined with other treatments including TACE and chemotherapy. The enrolled patients were treated until disease progression, death, or severe intolerable toxicity, etc. The primary endpoint was overall response rate (ORR), and secondary endpoints were disease control rate (DCR), progression-free survival (PFS), and overall survival (OS). The adverse events (AEs) were also recorded.ResultsFrom February, 2019 to May, 2020, a total of 233 patients were enrolled. Among them, 66 (28.33%) patients received apatinib monotherapy and 167 (71.67%) patients received combination therapy. Patients with a history of hepatitis accounted for 70%. 8 patients achieved complete response (CR), 64 patients achieved partial response (PR), 120 patients achieved stable disease (SD), and 41 patients had progressive disease (PD), illustrating an ORR of 30.90% and a DCR of 82.40%. Median PFS and OS were 6.93 months (95% CI, 6.19-7.68 months) and 11.36 months (95% CI, 9.96-12.77 months), respectively. The safety profile indicated that the most common drug-related adverse events were hypertension (37.90%), hand-foot-skin reaction (27.39%), fatigue (19.11%), thrombocytopenia (16.02%). Grade 3/4 treatment related AEs included thrombocytopenia (4.30%), hypertension (3.82%), neutropenia (2.73%). After symptomatic treatment, all the adverse events were treated properly, and no unexpected adverse events were observed. Conclusions In current study, apatininb showed good tolerance with acceptable toxicity and high tumor response rate that translated into promising PFS and OS in unresectable HCC patients. ChiCTR1900021822 Citation Format: Jun Liu, Guangbing Li, Qiang He, Shijun Sun, Chuanlin Zhao, Chuandong Sun, Bo Zhang, Yi Cui, Yongqiang Ye, Xuting Zhi, Shiping Li, Shiping Li, Guozheng Pan, Changlin Ma, Jinhua Hu, Jun Li, Suling Wang, Yuangang Qiao, Wanhua Ren, Qi Meng. Efficacy and safety of apatinib in treatment of unresectablehepatocellular carcinoma: A real-world study [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2022; 2022 Apr 8-13. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2022;82(12_Suppl):Abstract nr 5249.

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Study of petrological and geochemical characteristics of mantle peridotite xenoliths in Pliocene alkaline basalt in Nghia Dan (West Nghe An) was carried out. Rock-forming clinopyroxenes, the major trace element containers, were separated from the xenoliths to analyze for major, trace element and Sr-Nd isotopic compositions. The data were interpreted for source geochemical characteristics and geodynamic processes of the lithospheric mantle beneath the region. The peridotite xenoliths being mostly spinel-lherzolites in composition, are residual entities having been produced following partial melting events of ultramafic rocks in the asthenosphere. They are depleted in trace element abundance and Sr-Nd isotopic composition. Some are even more depleted as compared to mid-ocean ridge mantle xenoliths. Modelled calculation based on trace element abundances and their corresponding solid/liquid distribution coefficients showed that the Nghia Dan mantle xenoliths may be produced of melting degrees from 8 to 12%. Applying various methods for two-pyroxene temperature- pressure estimates, the Nghia Dan mantle xenoliths show ranges of crystallization temperature and pressure, respectively, of 1010-1044°C and 13-14.2 kbar, roughly about 43km. A geotherm constructed for the mantle xenoliths showed a higher geothermal gradient as compared to that of in the western Highlands (Vietnam) and a conductive model, implying a thermal perturbation under the region. The calculated Sm-Nd model ages for the clinopyroxenes yielded 127 and 122 Ma. 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Abstract Aim The aim of this QIP is to firstly increase percentage of T&O admissions to Orthopaedic Wards 23+25 prescribed laxatives by 25% by 1st of December over 1 month and to increase awareness among healthcare staff. Background Constipation in elderly during inpatient stay is common, 50% of pts&gt;65years will develop this due to multifactorial reasons. Correct laxatives are very important to curb this predicament. Method These data were assessed over the following criteria, laxatives prescribed on admission, administered following prescription, monitoring bowel output, suppositories prescribed after admission. Following each week QI cycles, appropriate interventions were made to improve the adherence and data was re-measured again. Results From Baseline data, only 45% of patient were prescribed laxatives and only 20% patients received the medication initially. Of this group, only 20% pts had suppositories prescribed following admission. Lastly, 40% of patients had Bowel Opened (BO)&gt;3days ago. First intervention was educating all SHOs to ensure patients received prescription on admission. Following this, mainly laxative prescription increased by 40%, and patient received their laxatives by 2% respectively in PDSA 1. In PDSA 2, we actively ensured educating nursing staff to encourage laxative prescriptions and to inform doctors for patients with Last BO&gt;3days ago for suppositories prescribing. Following this, laxative prescription increased to 80% while 65% pts received their prescription. Only 15% pts had BO&gt;3days too. Conclusion Regular laxatives are superior to PRN & Recommended regime is Senna+Lactulose for patient adherence. Additionally, suppositories should be given as STAT rather than Prn as well.

Aplastic Anemia (AA) is a rare but fatal hematologic disease that may occur at any age and especially higher in Asia. We investigated whether Chinese herbal medicine (CHM) is beneficial to AA patients as a complementary therapy using a nationwide population-based database in Taiwan between 2000–2016. Patient survival was estimated by Kaplan‒Meier survival analyses and Cox proportional-hazard model. CHM-users presented lower risks of overall and anemia-related mortalities when compared to non-users. The risk of overall mortality for CHM-users in AA patients was 0.70-fold [adjusted hazard ratio (aHR): 0.70, 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.66-0.74, p &lt; 0.001). The risk of anemia-related mortality was lower in CHM-users when compared to non-users (aHR: 0.46, 95% CI: 0.32-0.67, p &lt; 0.001). The association rule analysis revealed that CHM pairs were Ban-Zhi-Lian (BZL; Scutellaria barbata D. Don)→Bai-Hua-She-She-Cao (BHSSC; Oldenlandia diffusa (Willd.) Roxb.), followed by Dang-Gui (DG; Angelica sinensis (Oliv.) Diels)→Huang-Qi (HQi; Astragalus membranaceus (Fisch.) Bunge), and Xian-He-Cao (XHC; Agrimonia pilosa f. borealis (Kitag.) Chu)→Gui-Pi-Tang (GPT). Network analysis showed that BZL, BHSSC, DG, HQi, XHC, GPT, and Dan-Shen (DanS; Salvia miltiorrhiza var. charbonnelii (H.Lév.) C.Y.Wu) were commonly used CHMs for AA patients. Therefore, further studies for these commonly prescribed herbs are needed in functional investigations in hematopoiesis-stimulating effect and large-scale randomized controlled trials (RCT) in bone marrow failure related diseases.

Vitamin E (VitE) is a potent antioxidant and contributes as an apoptosis inhibitor by preventing apoptotic death by suppressing cell membrane scrambling with phosphatidylserine translocation and caspase activites. Fas ligand (FasL) is well known to induce cell apoptosis. Activation of phosphoinositide 3 kinase (PI3K) signalling is stimulated by VitE. The present study addressed the effects of VitE on survival of mouse dendritic cells (DCs) and signalling molecules underlying. To this end, mouse bone marrow cells were isolated and cultured to attain bone marrow-derived DCs (BMDCs). The cells were treated with FasL in the presence or absence of VitE. Western blotting and FACS analysis were performed to determine expression of signalling molecules and their involvement in DC apoptosis. As a result, FasL treatment resulted in activation of caspase 8 and an increased number of Annexin V+ cells, the effects were significantly suppressed when VitE was present in the cell culture. Importantly, the anti-apoptotic effects of VitE were abolished by using pharmacological inhibition of PI3K signaling with LY294002. Our results showed that VitE inhibited FasL-mediated DC apoptosis through PI3K signalling, the effect is expected to facilitate the survival of DCs and promote the immune response against pathogens. Keywords Caspase, Dendritic cell; Fas ligand; PI3K and vitamin E. References [1] J. Banchereau, R.M. Steinman, Dendritic cells and the control of immunity, Nature 392 (1998) 245-52.[2] E. Ingulli, A. Mondino, A. Khoruts, M.K. Jenkins, In vivo detection of dendritic cell antigen presentation to CD4(+) T cells, J Exp Med 185 (1997) 2133-41.[3] C. Yang, H.Z. Liu, Z.X. Fu, PEG-liposomal oxaliplatin induces apoptosis in human colorectal cancer cells via Fas/FasL and caspase-8, Cell Biol Int 36 (2012) 289-96.[4] Q.G. Yan, J.G. Shi, F. Zhang, Q.T. Zhao, X.W. Pang, R. Chen, P.Z. Hu, Q.L. Li, Z. Wang, G.S. 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Awad, MD, MSc, FACS, MA (hon) Hakan Ay, MD, FAHA Michael Ayad, MD, PhD Cenk Ayata, MD Aamir Badruddin, MD Hee Joon Bae, MD, PhD Mark Bain, MD Tamilyn Bakas, PhD, RN, FAHA, FAAN Frank Barone, BA, DPhil Andrew Barreto, MD William G. Barsan, MD, FACEP, FAHA Nicolas G. Bazan, MD, PhD Kyra Becker, MD, FAHA Ludmila Belayev, MD Rodney Bell, MD Andrei B. Belousov, PhD Susan L. Benedict, MD Larry Benowitz, PhD Rohit Bhatia, MBBS, MD, DM, DNB Pratik Bhattacharya, MD MPh James A. Bibb, PhD Jose Biller, MD, FACP, FAAN, FAHA Randie Black Schaffer, MD, MA Kristine Blackham, MD Bernadette Boden-Albala, DrPH Cesar Borlongan, MA, PhD Susana M. Bowling, MD Monique M. B. Breteler, MD, PhD Jonathan Brisman, MD Allan L. Brook, MD, FSIR Robert D. Brown, MD, MPH Devin L. Brown, MD, MS Ketan R. Bulsara, MD James Burke, MD Cheryl Bushnell, MD, MHSc, FAHA Ken Butcher, MD, PhD, FRCPC Livia Candelise, MD S Thomas Carmichael, MD, PhD Bob S. Carter, MD, PhD Angel Chamorro, MD, PhD Pak H. Chan, PhD, FAHA Seemant Chaturvedi, MD, FAHA, FAAN Peng Roc Chen, MD Jun Chen, MD Eric Cheng, MD, MS Huimahn Alex Choi, MD Sherry Chou, MD, MMSc Michael Chow, MD, FRCS(C), MPH Marilyn Cipolla, PhD, MS, FAHA Kevin Cockroft, MD, MSc, FACS Domingos Coiteiro, MD Alexander Coon, MD Robert Cooney, MD Shelagh B. Coutts, BSc, MB.ChB., MD, FRCPC, FRCP(Glasg.) Elizabeth Crago, RN, MSN Steven C. Cramer, MD Carolyn Cronin, MD, PhD Dewitte T. Cross, MD Salvador Cruz-Flores, MD, FAHA Brett L. Cucchiara, MD, FAHA Guilherme Dabus, MD M Ziad Darkhabani, MD Stephen M. Davis, MD, FRCP, Edin FRACP, FAHA Deidre De Silva, MBBS, MRCP Amir R. Dehdashti, MD Gregory J. del Zoppo, MD, MS, FAHA Bart M. Demaerschalk, MD, MSc, FRCPC Andrew M. Demchuk, MD Andrew J. DeNardo, MD Laurent Derex, MD, PhD Gabrielle deVeber, MD Helen Dewey, MB, BS, PhD, FRACP, FAFRM(RACP) Mandip Dhamoon, MD, MPH Orlando Diaz, MD Martin Dichgans, MD Rick M. Dijkhuizen, PhD Michael Diringer, MD Jodi Dodds, MD Eamon Dolan, MD, MRCPI Amish Doshi, MD Dariush Dowlatshahi, MD, PhD, FRCPC Alexander Dressel, MD Carole Dufouil, MD Dylan Edwards, PhD Mitchell Elkind, MD, MS, FAAN Matthias Endres, MD Joey English, MD, PhD Conrado J. Estol, MD, PhD Mustapha Ezzeddine, MD, FAHA Susan C. Fagan, PharmD, FAHA Pierre B. Fayad, MD, FAHA Wende Fedder, RN, MBA, FAHA Valery Feigin, MD, PhD Johanna Fifi, MD Jessica Filosa, PhD David Fiorella, MD, PhD Urs Fischer, MD, MSc Matthew L. Flaherty, MD Christian Foerch, MD Gregg C. Fonarow, MD, FAHA Andria Ford, MD Christine Fox, MD, MAS Isabel Fragata, MD Justin Fraser, MD Don Frei, MD Gary H. Friday, MD, MPH, FAAN, FAHA Neil Friedman, MBChB Michael Froehler, MD, PhD Chirag D. Gandhi, MD Hannah Gardener, ScD Madeline Geraghty, MD Daniel P. Gibson, MD Glen Gillen, EdD, OTR James Kyle Goddard, III, MD Daniel A. Godoy, MD, FCCM Joshua Goldstein, MD, PhD, FAHA Nicole R. Gonzales, MD Hector Gonzalez, PhD Marlis Gonzalez-Fernandez, MD, PhD Philip B. Gorelick, MD, MPH, FAHA Matthew Gounis, PhD Prasanthi Govindarajan, MD Manu Goyal, MD, MSc Glenn D. Graham, MD, PhD Armin J. Grau, MD, PhD Joel Greenberg, PhD, FAHA Steven M. Greenberg, MD, PhD, FAHA David M. Greer, MD, MA, FCCM James C. Grotta, MD, FAHA Jaime Grutzendler, MD Rishi Gupta, MD Andrew Gyorke, MD Mary N. Haan, MPH, DrPH Roman Haberl, MD Maree Hackett, PhD Elliot Clark Haley, MD, FAHA Hen Hallevi, MD Edith Hamel, PhD Graeme J. Hankey, MBBS, MD, FRCP, FRCP, FRACP Amer Haque, MD Richard L. Harvey, MD Don Heck, MD Cathy M. Helgason, MD Thomas Hemmen, MD, PhD Dirk M. Hermann, MD Marta Hernandez, MD Paco Herson, PhD Michael D. Hill, MD, MSc, FRCPC Nancy K. Hills, PhD, MBA Robin C. Hilsabeck, PhD, ABPP-CN Judith A. Hinchey, MD, MS, FAHA Robert G. Holloway, MD, MPH William Holloway, MD Sherril K. Hopper, RN Jonathan Hosey, MD, FAAN George Howard, DPH, FAHA Virginia J. Howard, PhD, FAHA David Huang, MD, PhD Daniel Huddle, DO Richard L. Hughes, MD, FAHA, FAAN Lynn Hundley, RN, MSN, ARNP, CCRN, CNRN, CCNS Patricia D. Hurn, PhD, FAHA Muhammad Shazam Hussain, MD, FRCPC Costantino Iadecola, MD Rebecca N. Ichord, MD M. Arfan Ikram, MD Kachi Illoh, MD Pascal Jabbour, MD Bharathi D. Jagadeesan, MD Vivek Jain, MD Dara G. Jamieson, MD, FAHA Brian T. Jankowitz, MD Edward C. Jauch, MD, MS, FAHA, FACEP David Jeck, MD Sayona John, MD Karen C. Johnston, MD, FAHA S Claiborne Johnston, MD, FAHA Jukka Jolkkonen, PhD Stephen C. Jones, PhD, SM, BSc Theresa Jones, PhD Anne Joutel, MD, PhD Tudor G. Jovin, MD Mouhammed R. Kabbani, MD Yasha Kadkhodayan, MD Mary A. Kalafut, MD, FAHA Amit Kansara, MD Moira Kapral, MD, MS Navaz P. Karanjia, MD Wendy Kartje, MD, PhD Carlos S. Kase, MD, FAHA Scott E. Kasner, MD, MS, FAHA Markku Kaste, MD, PhD, FESO, FAHA Prasad Katakam, MD, PhD Zvonimir S. Katusic, MD Irene Katzan, MD, MS, FAHA James E. 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The curtain rose. The howling of desert wind filled the performance hall in the Shanghai Grand Theatre. Into the center stage, where a scenic construction of a mountain cliff and a desert landscape was dimly lit, entered the character of the Daoist priest Wang Yuanlu (1849–1931), performed by Chen Yizong. Dressed in a worn and dusty outfit of dark blue cotton, characteristic of Daoist priests, Wang began to sweep the floor. After a few moments, he discovered a hidden chambre sealed inside one of the rock sanctuaries carved into the cliff.Signaled by the quick, crystalline, stirring wave of sound from the chimes, a melodious Chinese ocarina solo joined in slowly from the background. Astonished by thousands of Buddhist sūtra scrolls, wall paintings, and sculptures he had just accidentally discovered in the caves, Priest Wang set his broom aside and began to examine these treasures. Dawn had not yet arrived, and the desert sky was pitch-black. Priest Wang held his oil lamp high, strode rhythmically in excitement, sat crossed-legged in a meditative pose, and unfolded a scroll. The sound of the ocarina became fuller and richer and the texture of the music more complex, as several other instruments joined in.Below is the opening scene of the award-winning, theatrical dance-drama Dunhuang, My Dreamland, created by China’s state-sponsored Lanzhou Song and Dance Theatre in 2000. Figure 1a: Poster Side A of Dunhuang, My Dreamland Figure 1b: Poster Side B of Dunhuang, My DreamlandThe scene locates the dance-drama in the rock sanctuaries that today are known as the Dunhuang Mogao Caves, housing Buddhist art accumulated over a period of a thousand years, one of the best well-known UNESCO heritages on the Silk Road. Historically a frontier metropolis, Dunhuang was a strategic site along the Silk Road in northwestern China, a crossroads of trade, and a locus for religious, cultural, and intellectual influences since the Han dynasty (206 B.C.E.–220 C.E.). Travellers, especially Buddhist monks from India and central Asia, passing through Dunhuang on their way to Chang’an (present day Xi’an), China’s ancient capital, would stop to meditate in the Mogao Caves and consult manuscripts in the monastery's library. At the same time, Chinese pilgrims would travel by foot from China through central Asia to Pakistan, India, Nepal, Bangladesh, and Sri Lanka, playing a key role in the exchanges between ancient China and the outside world. Travellers from China would stop to acquire provisions at Dunhuang before crossing the Gobi Desert to continue on their long journey abroad. Figure 2: Dunhuang Mogao CavesThis article approaches the idea of “abroad” by examining the present-day imagination of journeys along the Silk Road—specifically, staged performances of the various Silk Road journey-themed dance-dramas sponsored by the Chinese state for enhancing its cultural and foreign policies since the 1970s (Kuang).As ethnomusicologists have demonstrated, musicians, choreographers, and playwrights often utilise historical materials in their performances to construct connections between the past and the present (Bohlman; Herzfeld; Lam; Rees; Shelemay; Tuohy; Wade; Yung: Rawski; Watson). The ancient Silk Road, which linked the Mediterranean coast with central China and beyond, via oasis towns such as Samarkand, has long been associated with the concept of “journeying abroad.” Journeys to distant, foreign lands and encounters of unknown, mysterious cultures along the Silk Road have been documented in historical records, such as A Record of Buddhist Kingdoms (Faxian) and The Great Tang Records on the Western Regions (Xuanzang), and illustrated in classical literature, such as The Travels of Marco Polo (Polo) and the 16th century Chinese novel Journey to the West (Wu). These journeys—coming and going from multiple directions and to different destinations—have inspired contemporary staged performance for audiences around the globe.Home and Abroad: Dunhuang and the Silk RoadDunhuang, My Dreamland (2000), the contemporary dance-drama, staged the journey of a young pilgrim painter travelling from Chang’an to a land of the unfamiliar and beyond borders, in search for the arts that have inspired him. Figure 3: A scene from Dunhuang, My Dreamland showing the young pilgrim painter in the Gobi Desert on the ancient Silk RoadFar from his home, he ended his journey in Dunhuang, historically considered the northwestern periphery of China, well beyond Yangguan and Yumenguan, the bordering passes that separate China and foreign lands. Later scenes in Dunhuang, My Dreamland, portrayed through multiethnic music and dances, the dynamic interactions among merchants, cultural and religious envoys, warriors, and politicians that were making their own journey from abroad to China. The theatrical dance-drama presents a historically inspired, re-imagined vision of both “home” and “abroad” to its audiences as they watch the young painter travel along the Silk Road, across the Gobi Desert, arriving at his own ideal, artistic “homeland”, the Dunhuang Mogao Caves. Since his journey is ultimately a spiritual one, the conceptualisation of travelling “abroad” could also be perceived as “a journey home.”Staged more than four hundred times since it premiered in Beijing in April 2000, Dunhuang, My Dreamland is one of the top ten titles in China’s National Stage Project and one of the most successful theatrical dance-dramas ever produced in China. With revenue of more than thirty million renminbi (RMB), it ranks as the most profitable theatrical dance-drama ever produced in China, with a preproduction cost of six million RMB. The production team receives financial support from China’s Ministry of Culture for its “distinctive ethnic features,” and its “aim to promote traditional Chinese culture,” according to Xu Rong, an official in the Cultural Industry Department of the Ministry. Labeled an outstanding dance-drama of the Chinese nation, it aims to present domestic and international audiences with a vision of China as a historically multifaceted and cosmopolitan nation that has been in close contact with the outside world through the ancient Silk Road. Its production company has been on tour in selected cities throughout China and in countries abroad, including Austria, Spain, and France, literarily making the young pilgrim painter’s “journey along the Silk Road” a new journey abroad, off stage and in reality.Dunhuang, My Dreamland was not the first, nor is it the last, staged performances that portrays the Chinese re-imagination of “journeying abroad” along the ancient Silk Road. It was created as one of many versions of Dunhuang bihua yuewu, a genre of music, dance, and dramatic performances created in the early twentieth century and based primarily on artifacts excavated from the Mogao Caves (Kuang). “The Mogao Caves are the greatest repository of early Chinese art,” states Mimi Gates, who works to increase public awareness of the UNESCO site and raise funds toward its conservation. “Located on the Chinese end of the Silk Road, it also is the place where many cultures of the world intersected with one another, so you have Greek and Roman, Persian and Middle Eastern, Indian and Chinese cultures, all interacting. Given the nature of our world today, it is all very relevant” (Pollack). As an expressive art form, this genre has been thriving since the late 1970s contributing to the global imagination of China’s “Silk Road journeys abroad” long before Dunhuang, My Dreamland achieved its domestic and international fame. For instance, in 2004, The Thousand-Handed and Thousand-Eyed Avalokiteśvara—one of the most representative (and well-known) Dunhuang bihua yuewu programs—was staged as a part of the cultural program during the Paralympic Games in Athens, Greece. This performance, as well as other Dunhuang bihua yuewu dance programs was the perfect embodiment of a foreign religion that arrived in China from abroad and became Sinicized (Kuang). Figure 4: Mural from Dunhuang Mogao Cave No. 45A Brief History of Staging the Silk Road JourneysThe staging of the Silk Road journeys abroad began in the late 1970s. Historically, the Silk Road signifies a multiethnic, cosmopolitan frontier, which underwent incessant conflicts between Chinese sovereigns and nomadic peoples (as well as between other groups), but was strongly imbued with the customs and institutions of central China (Duan, Mair, Shi, Sima). In the twentieth century, when China was no longer an empire, but had become what the early 20th-century reformer Liang Qichao (1873–1929) called “a nation among nations,” the long history of the Silk Road and the colourful, legendary journeys abroad became instrumental in the formation of a modern Chinese nation of unified diversity rooted in an ancient cosmopolitan past. The staged Silk Road theme dance-dramas thus participate in this formation of the Chinese imagination of “nation” and “abroad,” as they aestheticise Chinese history and geography. History and geography—aspects commonly considered constituents of a nation as well as our conceptualisations of “abroad”—are “invariably aestheticized to a certain degree” (Bakhtin 208). Diverse historical and cultural elements from along the Silk Road come together in this performance genre, which can be considered the most representative of various possible stagings of the history and culture of the Silk Road journeys.In 1979, the Chinese state officials in Gansu Province commissioned the benchmark dance-drama Rain of Flowers along the Silk Road, a spectacular theatrical dance-drama praising the pure and noble friendship which existed between the peoples of China and other countries in the Tang dynasty (618-907 C.E.). While its plot also revolves around the Dunhuang Caves and the life of a painter, staged at one of the most critical turning points in modern Chinese history, the work as a whole aims to present the state’s intention of re-establishing diplomatic ties with the outside world after the Cultural Revolution. Unlike Dunhuang, My Dreamland, it presents a nation’s journey abroad and home. To accomplish this goal, Rain of Flowers along the Silk Road introduces the fictional character Yunus, a wealthy Persian merchant who provides the audiences a vision of the historical figure of Peroz III, the last Sassanian prince, who after the Arab conquest of Iran in 651 C.E., found refuge in China. By incorporating scenes of ethnic and folk dances, the drama then stages the journey of painter Zhang’s daughter Yingniang to Persia (present-day Iran) and later, Yunus’s journey abroad to the Tang dynasty imperial court as the Persian Empire’s envoy.Rain of Flowers along the Silk Road, since its debut at Beijing’s Great Hall of the People on the first of October 1979 and shortly after at the Theatre La Scala in Milan, has been staged in more than twenty countries and districts, including France, Italy, Japan, Thailand, Russia, Latvia, Hong Kong, Macao, Taiwan, and recently, in 2013, at the Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts in New York.“The Road”: Staging the Journey TodayWithin the contemporary context of global interdependencies, performing arts have been used as strategic devices for social mobilisation and as a means to represent and perform modern national histories and foreign policies (Davis, Rees, Tian, Tuohy, Wong, David Y. H. Wu). The Silk Road has been chosen as the basis for these state-sponsored, extravagantly produced, and internationally staged contemporary dance programs. In 2008, the welcoming ceremony and artistic presentation at the Olympic Games in Beijing featured twenty apsara dancers and a Dunhuang bihua yuewu dancer with long ribbons, whose body was suspended in mid-air on a rectangular LED extension held by hundreds of performers; on the giant LED screen was a depiction of the ancient Silk Road.In March 2013, Chinese president Xi Jinping introduced the initiatives “Silk Road Economic Belt” and “21st Century Maritime Silk Road” during his journeys abroad in Kazakhstan and Indonesia. These initiatives are now referred to as “One Belt, One Road.” The State Council lists in details the policies and implementation plans for this initiative on its official web page, www.gov.cn. In April 2013, the China Institute in New York launched a yearlong celebration, starting with "Dunhuang: Buddhist Art and the Gateway of the Silk Road" with a re-creation of one of the caves and a selection of artifacts from the site. In March 2015, the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC), China’s top economic planning agency, released a new action plan outlining key details of the “One Belt, One Road” initiative. Xi Jinping has made the program a centrepiece of both his foreign and domestic economic policies. One of the central economic strategies is to promote cultural industry that could enhance trades along the Silk Road.Encouraged by the “One Belt, One Road” policies, in March 2016, The Silk Princess premiered in Xi’an and was staged at the National Centre for the Performing Arts in Beijing the following July. While Dunhuang, My Dreamland and Rain of Flowers along the Silk Road were inspired by the Buddhist art found in Dunhuang, The Silk Princess, based on a story about a princess bringing silk and silkworm-breeding skills to the western regions of China in the Tang Dynasty (618-907) has a different historical origin. The princess's story was portrayed in a woodblock from the Tang Dynasty discovered by Sir Marc Aurel Stein, a British archaeologist during his expedition to Xinjiang (now Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region) in the early 19th century, and in a temple mural discovered during a 2002 Chinese-Japanese expedition in the Dandanwulike region. Figure 5: Poster of The Silk PrincessIn January 2016, the Shannxi Provincial Song and Dance Troupe staged The Silk Road, a new theatrical dance-drama. Unlike Dunhuang, My Dreamland, the newly staged dance-drama “centers around the ‘road’ and the deepening relationship merchants and travellers developed with it as they traveled along its course,” said Director Yang Wei during an interview with the author. According to her, the show uses seven archetypes—a traveler, a guard, a messenger, and so on—to present the stories that took place along this historic route. Unbounded by specific space or time, each of these archetypes embodies the foreign-travel experience of a different group of individuals, in a manner that may well be related to the social actors of globalised culture and of transnationalism today. Figure 6: Poster of The Silk RoadConclusionAs seen in Rain of Flowers along the Silk Road and Dunhuang, My Dreamland, staging the processes of Silk Road journeys has become a way of connecting the Chinese imagination of “home” with the Chinese imagination of “abroad.” Staging a nation’s heritage abroad on contemporary stages invites a new imagination of homeland, borders, and transnationalism. Once aestheticised through staged performances, such as that of the Dunhuang bihua yuewu, the historical and topological landscape of Dunhuang becomes a performed narrative, embodying the national heritage.The staging of Silk Road journeys continues, and is being developed into various forms, from theatrical dance-drama to digital exhibitions such as the Smithsonian’s Pure Land: Inside the Mogao Grottes at Dunhuang (Stromberg) and the Getty’s Cave Temples of Dunhuang: Buddhist Art on China's Silk Road (Sivak and Hood). 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