Silk Road cultural expo opens in Dunhuang

Themed Strengthening Cultural Exchanges and Promoting Mutual Learning Among Civilizations, the ninth Silk Road (Dunhuang) International Cultural Expo held its opening ceremony on Tuesday in Dunhuang, Gansu province.

This year's expo is welcoming around 1,200 guests in an exhibition area that reaches 18,000 square meters at the Dunhuang International Convention and Exhibition Center. There are 18 major events running from Monday to Wednesday.

Supplementary exhibitions are arranged in five sections: the achievements of the Dunhuang Academy; Gansu's achievements in cultural innovation; an exhibition of Dunhuang traditional medicine; an exhibition of people-to-people exchanges under the theme of the Belt and Road Initiative; and an exhibition of Dunhuang fine arts.

On a market-oriented basis, the expo is offering several events including a Silk Road-themed international cultural-tourism commodities fair, a Dunhuang IP achievements exhibition and a brand operations exhibition.

In addition, renowned troupes from countries including the United States and Portugal are taking to the stage alongside domestic arts groups, using cultural performances to promote people-to-people bonds and build consensus for high-quality BRI cooperation.

More activities such as a training program for young sinologists, traditional Chinese medicine experiences, Dunhuang art showcases, hands-on sessions and field visits are inviting people from all walks of life to experience Chinese culture.

At the opening ceremony, Wu Xiaojun, Party secretary of Gansu province, said: "Since ancient times, Gansu has been a key corridor where Chinese and Western cultures meet and a frontier where diverse ethnic groups intermingle. The convergence of many cultures here has forged a distinctive temperament of drawing on diverse strengths, openness and inclusiveness. We look forward to carrying forward the ancient Silk Road's open and inclusive tradition with friends at home and abroad, safeguarding our cultural heritage, and letting it shine anew for the new era."

The 2026 Dunhuang Forum is taking place alongside the expo. Since its inaugural session, the forum has been staged in tandem and played a role in revitalizing Dunhuang culture, serving the BRI and fostering cultural exchanges.

Integrated development

At the crossroads of Gansu and Qinghai provinces, the Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region and the ancient Silk Road, Dunhuang is witness to more than 2,000 years of coexistence and integration among ethnic groups.

Thirty-one ethnicities, including Han, Hui, Mongolian, Tibetan and Uygur, have flourished here. Diverse cultures converge at this desert oasis, which is a microcosm of the pluralistic yet unified Chinese civilization.

In 2025, Dunhuang was designated by the National Ethnic Affairs Commission as a pilot city for a tourism-driven program promoting interaction, communication and integration among different ethnic groups.

Using tourism as a link, the city has encouraged people of all ethnic groups to live, learn, build, share, work and rejoice together, forging a path where cultural-tourism integration empowers ethnic exchange and unity.

To reach these goals, Dunhuang set up a dedicated working group, issued a pilot implementation plan and developed an approach that integrates study tours with culture, tourism, the arts, creative products and cultural heritage.

The city has been integrating itself into the greater Dunhuang cultural tourism economic circle. Leveraging the cultural-tourism alliances of Gansu, Xinjiang, Inner Mongolia and Qinghai, Dunhuang has built premium routes along the grand loop tour of West China.

Dunhuang has secured special funding from the Gansu Ethnic Affair Commission, channeling money into upgrading study tour bases and improving scenic areas' facilities.

Policies including the "attracting tourists to Dunhuang" incentives, study tour packages and the "eight golden measures" aim to boost tourism consumption during the offseason from winter to spring.

The city is building up a study tour base promoting Dunhuang studies and traditional Chinese culture. It drives scenic areas including Yangguan Pass and Yumen Pass to become demonstration bases for ethnic unity and intangible cultural heritage.

On Sept 29, the city launched the 2026 Dunhuang October Performance Season. Together with the "eight golden measures", the project is driving the city's cultural-tourism market in the off-season.

From Oct 2 to 3, the dance drama The Eternal Wave — winner of multiple national awards — staged four shows in Dunhuang, recreating the atmosphere of Republican-era society in Shanghai.

From Oct 16 to 17, the dance drama Poetic Dance: The Journey of a Legendary Landscape Painting staged three shows in Dunhuang, reviving the spirit of ancient painting through dance.

Dunhuang's two local shows have also been upgraded. Ancient Sound of Dunhuang adjusted its daily performances to between three and six shows, while Encore Dunhuang, the immersive drama directed by Wang Chaoge, added more shows during the National Day holiday.

In addition, the Mingsha Mountain and Crescent Spring Scenic Area in Dunhuang city held a celebration for the National Day and Mid-Autumn Festival holidays, featuring ethnic song-and-dance flash mobs, camel caravan parades and intangible heritage markets.

Meanwhile, the Dunhuang night market kicked off cultural and arts activities with themed performances, intangible cultural heritage shows, food challenge contests and lucky draws, letting visitors feel Dunhuang's culture on the streets.

According to the city's culture and tourism authority, the 2026-27"eight golden measures" for winter-spring tourism will be in effect from Dec 1 to March 31, 2027.

Compared with past years' focus on ticket discounts, this year's policy has been changed into a comprehensive model involving ticket packages, warmhearted services, diverse incentives and immersive activities, covering the full chain of dining, lodging, transport, sightseeing, shopping and entertainment.

During the policy period, core scenic areas such as the Mogao Caves will apply off-season ticket prices and multiple areas including the Mingsha Mountain and Crescent Spring Scenic Area will offer half-price tickets, along with combined tickets and discounted sightseeing-bus fares.

Scenic areas will be offering jujube tea, affordable on-site dining, and many have opened parking lots free of charge all year round.

For culture and performance, Dunhuang's lantern fair, intangible heritage shows, shehuo dance competitions, New Year blessings and live re-enactments of restored murals will be staged, using live performances and folk customs to energize off-season nighttime consumption.

A city official said the launch of the Dunhuang October Performance Season and the "eight golden measures" aims to tap the cultural-tourism consumption potential through policy dividends and high-quality cultural offerings, advancing Dunhuang's market toward year-round prosperity.

Expanding horizons

Around Spring Festival 2026, Gansu Performing Arts Group toured Africa, Latin America and Macao for cultural exchange. Completing 24 performances and a variety of cultural interactions, they delivered China's and Gansu's stories through exquisite artistry.

Among them, performers presented classic excerpts from Flower Rains Along the Silk Road and an ethnic instrumental music concert, and staged flash performances in Algeria.

In Africa, they staged seven acrobatic shows blending Gansu's regional culture with the essence of traditional Chinese acrobatics. They also brought featured programs to Cuba, Panama and Macao for 10 performances.

This Spring Festival tour is a microcosm of the province's years of dedication to international cultural exchange.

In September, at the Belt and Road Central Asia Traditional Medicine Development Conference held in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, two Dunhuang medicine-themed board games were presented in the segment on traditional Chinese medicine techniques and health products. They used interactive formats to introduce Dunhuang medical culture to delegates from multiple countries.

Dunhuang medicine is rooted in the vast trove of ancient medical manuscripts unearthed from the Library Cave at Dunhuang, which blended the medicinal wisdom of ethnic groups along the ancient Silk Road. It is also a precious cultural resource for the international exchange of traditional Chinese medicine.

The two board games transform the knowledge of Dunhuang's ancient medical texts, weaving Dunhuang prescriptions, wellness concepts and medical anecdotes into game rules.

Freed from academic tomes, the games allow overseas participants to intuitively grasp the essence of Dunhuang medicine, opening a way to popularize traditional medicine and promote cross-cultural communication.

Leveraging digital technology, Dunhuang is expanding its cultural communication horizons.

At a news conference held by the National Cultural Heritage Administration in Beijing on July 28, Yu Tianxiu, deputy director of the Dunhuang Academy, delivered a speech. He said that in more than 30 years of work using digital tools, the academy has finished the data acquisition of 323 caves, reconstructed 16 major archaeological sites with 3D models, and created panoramic virtual tours of 227 caves, building a digital heritage resource exceeding 600 terabytes.

Building on secure data acquisition, processing and storage, the academy is now opening its data to the public.

Beyond this, urban renewal is being infused with the cultural essence of Dunhuang. Cultural motifs such as the Flying Apsaras and the three-rabbits-sharing-ears pattern are being woven into urban construction. More than 2,300 smart facilities have been renovated. Distinctive streetlights and more than 4,500 cultural bricks have been installed. Moreover, 38 new pocket parks and green spaces have been created. These efforts are spreading cultural elements across the city's streets and alleys.

To embrace the ninth Silk Road (Dunhuang) International Cultural Expo, the city has set up themed murals, fine sculptures and landscape features, installed Han bamboo-slip-themed smart bus shelters, revitalized the Danghe River scenic corridor, expanded cultural-tourism experience spaces and replanted desert plants.

Based on the scale of guests expected, hotels, guest rooms and conference transport have been reserved and arranged. About 150 volunteers were recruited to provide consultation services.

Wang Dewen, vice-mayor of Dunhuang, said: "We remain committed to shaping the city with culture and revitalizing it through the expo, fully integrating Dunhuang's cultural elements into urban spaces."