Dunhuang's creative products draw international visitors at Silk Road expo

LANZHOU, Nov. 5 (Xinhua) -- At the cultural and creative exhibition area of the 9th Silk Road (Dunhuang) International Cultural Expo, a series of products blending traditional charm with modern design drew visitors' attention.

The expo, held from Monday to Wednesday in Dunhuang, northwest China's Gansu Province, brought together around 1,200 representatives from more than 50 countries and regions. It featured forums, cultural exhibitions and artistic performances to showcase Dunhuang's rich culture and promote dialogue on global cultural cooperation.

Dillon Thomas Longey, a 20-year-old student from the University of Central Oklahoma in the United States, and his companions moved from booth to booth, admiring Dunhuang-themed products with keen interest. Some bought postcards printed with mural patterns, while others were drawn to plush camels.

"This is so cool!" Longey said, describing the integration of history and culture into modern design as a fascinating way to communicate. "Sharing Dunhuang's culture and history through these products is really great!"

Because of a tight schedule, Longey only had time to buy a few postcards, but he hoped to choose more cultural products to take back to the United States for family and friends.

Briana Corazon Donovan, a 22-year-old American student from the same university, was equally impressed. "Buying a product means you can take culture home with you," she said.

These cultural and creative products from northwest China are becoming a window through which foreign visitors can learn about Dunhuang and experience Chinese culture.

Dunhuang was once a hub on the Silk Road in northwest China. For centuries, merchants and envoys from different regions passed through, helping create a rich cultural heritage that includes the Mogao Caves. Today, from classic mural figures such as flying apsaras and the nine-colored deer to a wealth of Silk Road elements, ancient Dunhuang culture is being woven into daily life through modern creative design.

Sun Xuehu, deputy general manager of Dunhuang Cultural and Tourism Group Co., Ltd., said that in recent years Dunhuang has continued to explore new ways to transform and develop its cultural heritage. Cultural and creative products have expanded from traditional tourist souvenirs into areas such as household goods and artistic design, while cultural consumption options have become increasingly diverse.

The Dunhuang Book Center has developed more than 5,000 cultural and creative products. Visitors can read Dunhuang cultural classics while enjoying coffee and browsing products, and can also try their hand at copying murals. At the Dunhuang Press, visitors can make seals and experience woodblock rubbing, gaining a feel for traditional craftsmanship.

Data show that in the first half of 2026, Dunhuang received 67,000 overseas visits, up 45.6 percent year on year.

As Dunhuang attracts more foreign tourists, its distinctive cultural and creative products are gaining more overseas fans. Shen Hongjie, who runs a woodcarving painting shop in Dunhuang, said his overseas customers often show different interests: some are drawn to desert scenery, others to flying apsara imagery, and still others to relief works.

At the same time, more cultural consumption spaces with international elements are appearing in Dunhuang.

In the city's Nancang historic and cultural district, a commercial building incorporates images of Silk Road merchants and travelers into its courtyard design. Some restaurants are combining Dunhuang specialty ingredients with Western-style dining, offering creative dishes.

Zhang Qi, who is in charge of the project, said that given the growing number of foreign tourists coming to Dunhuang, the project has incorporated international elements into its design and services and employs English-speaking staff. The aim is to provide a more comfortable environment for visitors from different cultural backgrounds to communicate and spend time.

From exhibition booths to street-side shops, from traditional art to modern life, Dunhuang culture is reaching visitors from around the world in increasingly diverse ways. Behind these novel products and experiences, what truly resonates is still the appeal of Dunhuang culture itself.

Russian scholar Nadezhda Zamyatina, visiting Dunhuang for the first time, is working with a research team from Tianjin University in north China on an urban planning study focused on Dunhuang. During the trip, she bought cultural and creative products such as Dunhuang-themed scarves and teacups.

In Zamyatina's view, Dunhuang is an important meeting point of different civilizations, with a rich and unique cultural heritage. She was pleasantly surprised that Dunhuang has not only preserved precious historical heritage but also integrated cultural elements into urban landscapes and daily life, allowing people to touch the city's history in their everyday lives.

"Many cities display culture on walls. Dunhuang also uses floor tiles and cultural and creative products to tell its history, which is impressive," Zamyatina said. She found the approach inspiring and hoped other cities would learn from Dunhuang's experience, and that more creative Dunhuang products would appear in the future.

For centuries, Dunhuang witnessed encounters and exchanges among different civilizations along the Silk Road. Today, cultural and creative products that foreign visitors pack into their bags will carry Dunhuang's cultural memory across mountains and seas to a wider world.