The Great Dunhuang is a Chinese television series based on the history of the oasis city of Dunhuang, which lies on the ancient Silk Road. With a Buddhist sutra printed in gold lettering as the plot device, the series tells of the rise and fall, and rebirth of Dunhuang in three parts, each covering a different period in Chinese history – the Song Dynasty, the late Qing Dynasty and the Republican era. The series was first broadcast in mainland China on CCTV from October 31 to November 25 in 2006.