張氏歸義軍時期敦煌與內地諸州府國忌行香制度的差異及其原因初探=A Preliminary Study on the Differences in Temple Prayer Service Practice Systems on a National Memorial Day between Dunhuang and Other Prefectures during the Gui-yi-jun Period of Zhang Family Control
Prayer services had been held many times on national memorial days at Dunhuang under the rule of Zhang Yichao and his nephew Zhang Huaishen. These services were different from those held in other Central Plains prefectures during the later Tang period in three ways outlined below. First, the number of national memorial days celebrated was greater at Dunhuag: prayer services were still held at Dunhuang on days commemorating Emperor Ruizong, Emperor Suzong, and Emperor Dezong-three memorial days alreadyabolished in other prefectures around the Central Plains. Second, prayer services at Dunhuang were held in different places: at Dunhuang, such events were mainly held at the Kaiyuan Temple or seven other various temples, whereas commemorative events in other prefectures were held exclusively at the local Kaiyuan Temple.Third, the people who participated in prayer services were different: common people were allowed to participate in the services held at Dunhuang but not in other prefectures. The primary reason for these differences was that such memorial day commemorations were not approved by the Tang government for practice at Dunhuang, meaning that these services beyond the Central Plains region were just imitations of those of the Tang empire. A special temple system at Shazhou and the activity of Zhang Yichao and his nephew, who hoped to garner support from local people and reinforce their control of the region, also contributed to the differences between ceremonial practices at Dunhuang and other areas.
