西汉以来就是山西北部的一个重要县份，也是太原通向塞外的交通枢纽。

Since the Western han Dynasty in northern Shanxi Province is an important county is also leading to formation of Taiyuan, transport hub.

谁都很难想象，一千六百年前，先民们在敦煌选址开窟时，这里曾经是一片草木扶疏的塞外绿洲。

One can hardly imagine that, when our forefathers chose to carve a cave at Dunhuang 1,600 years ago, the site was a stretch of oasis with lush grass and trees north of the Great Wall.