Yuan Rong

Yuan Rong (?-c. 541), also known as Yuan Tairong, was governor of Guazhou during the Northern Wei (386-534) and Western Wei (535-556) periods and a member of the imperial family. He was appointed governor of Guazhou in 525, in an effort to strengthen control over Hexi, and was granted the title of Prince of Dongyang in 529, to oversee Dunhuang. During the chaotic times at the end of the Northern Wei Dynasty, Yuan Rong united the local powers in Dunhuang to maintain social stability in the region. Throughout the Western Wei period, he continued to manage Dunhuang, ensuring its governance and prosperity amidst a turbulent political landscape.

From 528 to 534, Yuan Rong invested heavily in transcribing over 10 Buddhist sutras including Karunikarāja praj?āpāramitā sūtra (BD.09525), currently housed in the National Library of China, and Mahāpraj?āpāramitopade?a (P.2143), in Bibliothèque Nationale de France, the National Library of France. Historical records show that Yuan also excavated a large cave at Mogao, known as Cave 285, which features grand scale, exquisite paintings, and painted statues. This cave is believed to have been constructed under his direction and is therefore also referred to as the "Cave of the Prince of Dongyang".

元榮

元榮（?—約541），又名元太榮，北魏至西魏時期的瓜州刺史，為皇室宗親。北魏為加強河西統治，孝昌元年（525）任命宗室元榮為瓜州刺史治理敦煌，永安二年（529）封元榮為東陽王。在北魏末年的亂世，元榮團結敦煌地方的豪強大族，保持了這里的社會安定。西魏時期，元榮繼續管理敦煌。

永安至永熙（528—534）間，他曾出巨資寫經10余部，包括現藏于中國國家圖書館的BD.09525《仁王護國般若波羅蜜經》、法國國家圖書館P.2143《大智度論》等。史載元榮還在莫高窟開鑿了一個大窟，莫高窟第285窟洞窟規模宏大、繪塑精湛，被認為可能是元榮主持開鑿的，因此也被稱為“東陽王窟”。