A fresco of a Mongolian funeral ceremony in Arjai Grotto in
North China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region shows Genghis
Khan (1167-1227), according to experts.
The richly-decorated fresco in the 28th cave of Arjai Grotto is
50cm long and 35cm wide. It depicts a lavish Mongolian funeral of a
man held above a grave in the beaks of four white cranes, said Pan
Zhaodong, a researcher from the Social Science Academy of the Inner
Mongolia Autonomous Region.
A well-dressed onlooker near the ornate coffin might be the
prince who accompanied Genghis Khan to annihilate the Western Xia
regime 780 years ago while another two are monks, Zhang said.
A monk on his knees appears to be praying to release the dead
man's soul from purgatory, Zhao said. The woman crying in the
palace in the left of the picture is his wife, Zhao said. But not
everyone agrees with this view.
Although the fresco accurately represents noble Mongolian
funeral rites, the body may not be Genghis Khan, said Batujirghal,
director of the Otog cultural relics protection center. The picture
was nevertheless a very valuable icon that shows Mongolian
attitudes towards death, dress and ritual, he said. Mongolian tents
and palaces are also shown in the painting, he added.
The four white cranes carrying the body to heaven express the
Mongolian aspiration towards spiritual release, Batujirghal
said.
Genghis Khan, whose grandson Kublai Khan founded the Yuan
Dynasty (1271-1368), unified Mongol tribes and conquered most of
Eurasia. He was given the title "Genghis Khan" which means
"universal ruler".
(Xinhua News Agency December 27, 2006)
