Gansu's Xuanquanzhi Site named World Heritage Youth Education Base

The Xuanquanzhi site in Dunhuang, Gansu province, has been named a World Heritage Youth Education Base, becoming the second site in the province to receive the recognition after the Mogao Caves.

The designation was granted by the Suzhou Center of the UNESCO World Heritage Institute of Training and Research for the Asia and the Pacific Region during the ninth Silk Road (Dunhuang) International Cultural Expo in early November.

Located about 64 kilometers northwest of Dunhuang, the Xuanquanzhi site is the only Silk Road postal station in China to have undergone archaeological excavation. Established during the Han Dynasty (206 BC-AD 24), it served as an important official relay station, handling postal communications and receiving envoys and merchants. The site was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 2014.

Excavations have unearthed a large collection of bamboo and wooden slips, paper fragments, and other artifacts, offering firsthand records of the Silk Road's operation around 2,000 years ago. These findings provide important archaeological evidence of the existence and operation of the ancient Silk Road's Chang'an-Tianshan corridor, said Rong Hongmei, public education director at the Dunhuang Museum.

Since beginning trial operations in May 2025, the site has organized more than 100 educational activities, attracting over 9,000 students. Popular programs include an immersive learning experience themed around the ancient postal system and a public education project exploring astronomy and the night sky along the Silk Road.

Building on the recognition, the site plans to further develop educational programs combining on-site exploration, the study of ancient manuscripts, and digital immersive experiences.