By interpreting the materials about entertainment recorded in the Dunhuang documents from the Library Cave,this article argues that the entertainment culture was strongly influenced by the Confucian theory of "ritualism" as proved by the hierarchies and paradigms revealed in these activities.Local people had to consider whether their behavior was in accordance with Confucian rites when trying to relax and entertain themselves.Limited by ritual guidelines and ethical morality,the entertainment activities reveal an almost total lack of vitality and passion.
