During the Wei, Jin, Southern and Northern Dynasties, when Buddhism began to spread, the flying immortals in murals were also called flying immortals, which was the difference between flying immortals and flying immortals. With the in-depth development of Buddhism in China, the flying of Buddhism and the flying fairy of Taoism are integrated in artistic image. Flying in Dunhuang refers to the flying god painted in Dunhuang Grottoes, which later became a special term for Dunhuang mural art unique to China.

Flying in Dunhuang murals appeared at the same time as the creation of grottoes, starting from sixteen countries and going through ten dynasties, which lasted for more than a thousand years, and disappeared with the completion of Dunhuang grottoes until the end of Yuan Dynasty. In this long history of more than 1000 years, Tian Fei's artistic image, posture, artistic conception, style and taste are constantly changing due to the historical situation such as the replacement of dynasties, the transfer of political power, the development and prosperity of economy and the frequent exchanges between Chinese and Western cultures. Different times and artists have left us Tian Fei with different styles and characteristics. Over the past 1000 years, Dunhuang Tian Fei has formed a unique history of evolution and development. Its evolution history is roughly consistent with the whole history of Dunhuang art development, which is divided into four stages.

There are only three existing Beiliang Grottoes in Mogao Grottoes. The most cool flying in the north is the natural disaster flying above the main characters in this micro-story painting on the north wall of Cave 275, with a round head, wearing a five-treasure crown of India, or a bun on his head, half-naked upper body, U-shaped body, feet tilted upward, or breaking up or crossing his hands, showing a volley flying posture, but this flying posture is very clumsy and has a sense of falling. The U-shaped body also appears straight and hard, not yet round, slightly curved, with traces of flying posture of Indian stone carvings. The scope of Tian Fei's paintings in the Northern Wei Dynasty in Mogao Grottoes has been expanded. Not only painted on the ceiling, ceiling, story painting, niche, but also painted inside and outside the narrative map and niche. The image of flying in the Northern Wei Dynasty, some caves generally retained the characteristics of flying in the western regions, but some caves changed obviously and gradually changed to China. Tian Fei's face changed from plump to slim, with thin eyebrows, small nose and symmetrical facial features. Have a round head, or wear five jewelry crowns, or a bun. The proportion of the figure is gradually slender, and some legs are equivalent to twice the waist. And all kinds of flying postures. Some have swam through space, some have soared with their arms, and some have flown with their hands. They are heroic and generous. The momentum is like flying clouds and cranes. Where the sky falls, fragrant flowers fall, which is quite poetic.

In Buddhism, Tian Fei is Ganlu and Kinnara. The task of the nectar girl is to send out fragrance in the Buddhist country, present flowers and treasures to the Buddha, live among the flowers and fly in the heavenly palace. Kinnara's task is to play music, dance and dance in the Buddhist country, but he can't fly in the clouds. Later, Manna and Kinnara mixed, regardless of gender and function, and became one flying thing. People who played music in the early days were called "Heavenly Yue Ji", and later people who sang and danced with musical instruments were called "Tian Fei Yue Ji".

The style of flying in Dunhuang is characterized by no wings, no feathers, relying on clouds instead of clouds, but flying in the air by fluttering dresses and fluttering ribbons. In a variety of ways, this is based on the national tradition, absorbing and integrating the achievements of foreign flying art, developing and creating the flying image of Dunhuang.

In the early days of Dunhuang, flying sky was mostly painted on the top of the cave, decorated with algae wells on the top of the cave, the upper edge of the niche and the heads of the main characters in the Bunsen story painting. During the Northern Wei Dynasty, the scope of Tian Fei's paintings has been extended to illustrations and Buddhist niches. Although the image of flying still retains the characteristics of flying in the western regions, it has changed and gradually turned into flying in Dunhuang. For example, on the back of the north wall of Cave 226 in the Northern Wei Dynasty, there is a scattered flower flying above the west side of the picture. The face is transformed from goose egg to long and full, with small nose and mouth, symmetrical facial features, slender figure, fluttering skirt, flying across the sky, heroic and spirited, like flying cranes, fragrant flowers, beautiful posture and strong sense of movement. Tian Fei in Sui Dynasty was in a period of integration, exploration and innovation. Mainly manifested in different shapes, slender figure, moderate proportion, soft waist and graceful appearance. Some faces are comely, while others are plump. Clothing is different, some are semi-naked, some are long-sleeved and some are short-sleeved. There are different flight modes, including solo flight, group flight, flying up, flying down, flying against the wind and flying down ... By the Tang Dynasty, Dunhuang Tian Fei had completed the process of absorption and integration between China and foreign countries, completely formed its own unique style, and reached the peak of art. The four murals in the Tang Dynasty were all large-scale paintings. Flying is not only painted on seaweed, shrines and four curtains, but most of them are painted on classics. Buddha said in Elysium that the sky flies around, and some land slowly on colorful clouds; Some hold their heads high, swing their arms and soar upwards; Some hold flowers and go straight into the sky; Some hold flower trays and float across the sky. Skirts swaying in the wind and floating ribbons make the sky so light, ingenious, chic and charming. After the Five Dynasties and the Song Dynasty, Tian Fei's modeling efforts were not innovative, but gradually formulated. Although Tian Fei's style and characteristics are different, each generation is not as good as the next, and gradually loses its original artistic life.

From the 4th century (Sixteen Kingdoms) to the 4th century14th century (Yuan Dynasty), many flying images preserved in the grottoes in Dunhuang area are treasures of national art and a wonderful flower of Buddhist art. ..