Yale alum promotes Dunhuang culture from ancient Silk Road hub

LANZHOU — After graduating from Yale University, 24-year-old American Edward Kuperman made a choice few of his peers would have expected.

Rather than staying in the United States or heading to one of China's bustling metropolises, he settled in Dunhuang, a small oasis city in Northwest China's Gansu province.

Kuperman, better known by his Chinese name Gu Aihua, didn't come to this decision by accident. His story marks a new chapter in Dunhuang's long history as a meeting place of civilizations along the ancient Silk Road, where cultural exchange continues to thrive in the 21st century.

"Dunhuang offers a unique gateway to observing, understanding, and telling China's story," Kuperman says.

Before stepping into his role as the first full-time foreign presenter at a local media center in Dunhuang in April, Kuperman had already built a decade-long connection with China, which began with his first Chinese language class in middle school.

Back then, however, he never imagined Chinese would be so challenging to learn, or that he would stick with it for years, Kuperman recalls.

His devotion to Chinese culture deepened through classical literature. In one of China's must-read classics, The Romance of the Three Kingdoms, he found the figure Zhuge Liang in many ways embodying his own vision of an ideal personality — one marked by wisdom, principles and a sense of responsibility.

"'A gentleman may be killed, but he cannot be humiliated.' I really admire that sense of integrity and moral conviction in traditional Chinese culture," he notes.

These early impressions of China were later reinforced through a series of short-term experiences in the country, which deepened Kuperman's determination to return and stay longer.

At 17, he spent 40 days living with a host family in Suzhou, a city in East China's Jiangsu province. Though he initially struggled to follow everyday conversations, he wasn't discouraged. Instead, the challenge motivated him to double down on his studies. Later, during his years at Yale, he also joined exchange programs at Tsinghua University in Beijing, where full immersion further strengthened his fluency.

Now, in the eyes of his colleagues, the young American can not only express himself naturally in Chinese but also use more specialized, less commonly used vocabulary with ease. Yet for Kuperman, there is still a long way to go before he truly reaches an ideal level of understanding of the country, something he believes can only come after 20 years of living and working in China.

That is why he feels fortunate to have chosen Dunhuang as the starting point of this long journey. The city's unique natural landscape, cultural atmosphere and warm-hearted people have become the very reasons that motivate him to passionately share Dunhuang's culture with the world.

Since his arrival, his colleagues have helped him settle in. Once, a taxi driver even refused to accept payment for a short ride. In return, Kuperman aims to give back to the city with the same kindness he has received.

Once, a Dutch tourist lost a backpack at a night market in Dunhuang. With the help of Kuperman and local vendors, it was eventually recovered three hours later, a timeframe many would have considered too long for it to be found again.

Kuperman told the relieved tourist, "In China, nothing gets lost." The tourist nodded in agreement.

A video of the incident later gained public attention online, leaving a deep impression on Kuperman and reinforcing his belief that it is not necessary to repeatedly tell foreign visitors about China's convenience or safety.

"Facts just speak for themselves. That's even better," he says.

Now, Kuperman produces interviews, street conversations and short daily videos that feature valuable artifacts preserved in local museums and showcase Dunhuang's culture, history and contemporary stories to international audiences.

While his posts have yet to attract large view counts, Kuperman is not in a rush to chase online traffic, as he believes that true international communication starts with concrete, real-life details.

"A real person standing in a real setting, talking about a specific issue or experience, is often far more convincing than grand narratives," he notes.

For Kuperman, conversations like these are needed now more than ever in a world marked by growing uncertainty. And Dunhuang, once a thriving hub along the ancient Silk Road, continues to serve as a platform where people from different cultures can meet, exchange ideas, and better understand each other.

"My encounter with China has been a journey of broadening horizons and rethinking the world," Kuperman says. "It has also made me reflect on my own role and reminded me of the true value of communication between the East and the West."