I. The Ancient Period

　　The history of human activities in Dunhuang can be traced back to the Neolithic Age, four thousand years ago. In today's Dunhuang County, Nanhu Township, Dun Dun Dun Beach and Anxi County, Shuangta Reservoir and other places, has unearthed a large number of this period of stone knives, stone axes and other prehistoric relics. 1976 in the city of Yumen fire ditch site excavations, unearthed the production tools and crops and various types of decorations before 1600 BC; that is to say, in this area in the period equivalent to the Xia Dynasty, there has been a highly developed agriculture. In addition, in Dunhuang there is the famous Sanwei Mountain, so history has also called this area "Sanwei". In the "Shangshu" there has been "scuttling three seedlings in the three dangerous" a phrase, so many people think that the "three dangerous" here is Dunhuang, but there are many scholars believe that Dunhuang and the "Shangshu" in the "three dangerous But there are also many scholars who believe that Dunhuang has nothing to do with the "Three Dangers" in the Shangshu; the latter view is shared by most people. 

　　On the meaning of the name "Dunhuang", there are also different opinions. Han Shu - Geography Zhi" in the commentary "Dunhuang" two words meaning: "Dun, big also. Huang, full of also." It is believed that Dunhuang was a prosperous city. The Yuanhe County Atlas explains: "Dun is also big, because it opened up the western region, so it is famous." It is believed that this place was important for opening up the western region, so it was named Dunhuang. For the interpretation of the Han name of Dunhuang, some researchers have put forward different views. Many scholars believe that the word "Dunhuang" should be the phonetic translation of the name of the place called by the local indigenous minorities. But in the end, which is an ethnic minority on the name of the place, the academic community is not agreed, there are Xiongnu voice translation, Tu Huo Luo translation, Qiang language translation, the name of the dizi people and so on a variety of sayings. In addition, there are scholars who believe that the word "Dunhuang" is neither a Chinese word nor a minority word, but may be related to the Greeks. Most people now agree that "Dunhuang" is a phonetic translation of a minority language word. 

　　The earliest recorded history of Dunhuang dates back to the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period. At that time, the main ethnic group in the Hexi Corridor was the Yuezhi people, whose nomadic area centred on Dunhuang and the Qilian Mountains, stretching east to the eastern part of the Hexi Corridor and the Longyou region, and west to the eastern part of the Tarim Basin and the eastern part of the Tianshan Mountains. At that time, Dunhuang area was the place where the Wusun people grazed and prospered. In addition, the Dunhuang area was also home to the Saijun Hu, whose people "were originally from the Rong of the Yun family name and lived in Dunhuang, but were forced by the Yuezhi to run south to the Onion Ridge." Around the end of the Qin Dynasty, the Yuezhi became increasingly powerful and defeated the Usun, who were also nomads in the Hexi Corridor, forcing the Usun to move west to the area north of the Tianshan Mountains, while the Yuezhi took possession of Dunhuang. At this time, the Yuezhi were so powerful that even the Xiongnu, who were known for their toughness, had to admit their chief's son, Boldun, to the Yuezhi. During the Qin and Han Dynasties, the Xiongnu, under the leadership of their leader, Bolden, first defeated the Eastern Hu, then took advantage of the war in the Central Plains to seize the Ordos region south of the Hetao Loop, and then attacked the Yuezhi in the west, forcing the Yuezhi to migrate westward in a big way. From then on, the Hexi Corridor came under the rule of the Xiongnu, with the western part of the Corridor, including Dunhuang, being ruled by King Hunxie of the Xiongnu, and the eastern part being guarded by King Huitu. Thereafter, the Xiongnu annexed the territories of the Kings of Louxiao, Baiyang and Henan to the south, and controlled the Western Regions, so that even the newly-established Han Dynasty was subjected to their intrusion. After the Xiongnu occupied the Hexi and Western Regions, apart from collecting taxes in the occupied areas, they also seriously damaged and hindered the transport between the East and the West; and linked up with the Qiang people, seriously threatening the security of the Han Dynasty.