In Jiuquan, Gansu, at the western end of the Hexi Corridor, Dunhuang culture is stepping out of the grottoes and into the world in a more vibrant and international way. Wei Yonghui, Member of the Standing Committee of the Jiuquan Municipal Party Committee and Vice Mayor, stated on the 18th that Jiuquan is the birthplace of Dunhuang culture and the homeland of flying apsaras art. Since the start of the 14th Five-Year Plan period, Jiuquan has leveraged Dunhuang culture as a connecting thread, employing digital technology, cultural relic preservation, and international exchange initiatives to advance the innovative inheritance and developmental dissemination of Dunhuang culture.
On the same day, the Gansu Provincial Government Information Office held a themed press conference series titled “Securing Victory in the Final Push of the 14th Five-Year Plan: Striving for Advancement and Discussing Development”—Jiuquan Special Edition.
The “Digital Cave of Buddhist Scriptures” has successfully launched, and “Digital Dunhuang” enables global online appreciation of the Mogao Caves... In recent years, Jiuquan City has leveraged modern technology to breathe new life into its millennia-old cultural heritage. Wei Yonghui noted that Phase II of the Mogao Grottoes Digital Exhibition Center has been completed and put into operation, enabling digital preservation and immersive display of cultural heritage, allowing audiences worldwide to appreciate Dunhuang art online. Concurrently, Jiuquan City continues to support the Dunhuang Research Academy in digitally restoring Dunhuang artifacts lost overseas. Over the past three years, a cumulative investment of 15 million yuan has been allocated for scientific research exchanges and talent cultivation, injecting new momentum into Dunhuang studies.
In cultural relics conservation, Jiuquan City pioneered the establishment of municipal and county-level cultural relics protection centers across the province. It conducted comprehensive surveys, newly designated 28 cultural heritage sites at various levels, completed 71 conservation projects including Xuanquan Zhi, and upgraded the management of three grotto complexes—including the Dongqianfodong Caves in Guazhou—ensuring meticulous protection for numerous precious relics and sites.
The preservation and transmission of intangible cultural heritage has also yielded fruitful results. It is reported that Jiuquan has established 127 intangible cultural heritage protection and transmission bases, successfully promoting six items—including Dunhuang folk opera—to the national intangible cultural heritage list. The city has been honored with the title of “National Advanced Collective in Intangible Cultural Heritage Protection.”
As a key hub along the ancient Silk Road, Jiuquan leverages Dunhuang culture as a bridge to deepen mutual learning among civilizations. Wei Yonghui noted that during the 14th Five-Year Plan period, Jiuquan successfully hosted the 5th to 8th Silk Road (Dunhuang) International Cultural Expo, attracting over 3,800 guests from 228 countries and regions and facilitating 174 cultural cooperation projects.
Concurrently, Jiuquan established international sister-city relationships with eight cities across six countries, including Belarus. It facilitated the establishment of the UNESCO International Center for Cultural Communication in Jiuquan and launched 32 Dunhuang Culture Promotion Centers worldwide. The innovative “Dunhuang Culture Global Connection” initiative has been held 17 times, reaching over 6 million people.
With the accelerated development of the Greater Dunhuang Cultural Tourism Economic Circle, Jiuquan's integrated cultural and tourism development has entered a fast lane. Wei Yonghui stated that Jiuquan has implemented over 200 key projects, including the enhancement of the Yumen Pass scenic area, and successfully established the Dunhuang National Comprehensive Tourism Demonstration Zone.
Today, Dunhuang culture is entering people's lives in a younger, more fashionable way. The “Dunhuang Gifts” series has developed over 6,000 cultural and creative products across 50 themes, while specialty businesses like the Dunhuang Bookstore and Dunhuang Printing House have gained immense popularity. Classic performances such as “Again, Dunhuang” attract 1.1 million visitors annually, and the Ten Thousand Starry Sky Concert was recognized as the province's best cultural tourism creative project. Jiuquan City has also been successfully selected as a national pilot city for cultural and tourism consumption.
Data shows that since the start of the 14th Five-Year Plan period, Jiuquan has welcomed a cumulative total of 222 million tourists, generating tourism revenue of 183.5 billion yuan—representing increases of 67 million visitors and 38.4 billion yuan compared to the 13th Five-Year Plan period.
Editor Ⅰ: Zhang Congxiao
Editor Ⅱ: Bao Gang
Editor Ⅲ: Liu Guosong
