Enlightening education

[Photo/Dunhuang Research Academy]

The third day of the second lunar month is the birthday of Wenchang God, in charge of official rank. So during ancient times, an enlightenment ceremony would be held at the Longtaitou Festival by drawing a cinnabar dot between children's eyebrows, to wish for a wise mind and learned spirit.

A Tang Dynasty mural from Cave 468 portrays a daily life scene in ancient schools, with a teacher giving a lesson to a student and two other pupils reading in the room behind.