Dunhuang expo opens with focus on cultural exchanges

The Ninth Silk Road (Dunhuang) International Cultural Expo opened on Tuesday in Dunhuang, Gansu province, bringing together about 1,200 guests from China and abroad to promote cultural exchange and mutual learning among civilizations.

The three-day event features 18 activities across seven categories, including high-level meetings, performances, investment and consumption promotions, and Silk Road-themed cultural and tourism experiences.

Addressing the opening ceremony, Daren Tang, director-general of the World Intellectual Property Organization, said Dunhuang's history illustrated how cultural exchange could inspire new ideas and enrich civilizations. He pointed to the area's history as a major crossroads of the ancient Silk Road, where people of different beliefs, languages, and artistic traditions intersected.

He noted that the legacy of that exchange can still be seen in the Mogao Caves and Dunhuang's collection of historical manuscripts, which includes more than 40 languages and scripts. "Culture does not grow in isolation, but through exchange, new ideas, and creativity," Tang said.

"Carrying forward the Silk Road spirit can open up an effective pathway toward dialogue, mutual understanding, and peace," said Shahbaz Khan, director and representative of UNESCO's Regional Office in East Asia.

He also added that UNESCO would continue supporting Gansu in cultural heritage conservation and sustainable development, including efforts to strengthen the Dunhuang Academy's role in heritage protection and research.

American fiddler Kyle Dillingham, who has visited China more than a dozen times, is attending the expo with his folk band Horseshoe Road. He said he hoped the event would create new opportunities for people-to-people exchanges between Oklahoma and Gansu, which celebrated the 40th anniversary of their sister-state relationship in 2025.

"Some of my most treasured experiences haven't necessarily happened on a stage, but through the friendships and personal connections I've made along the way," he said.

Dillingham described the expo as a modern continuation of the Silk Road spirit, expressing hope that more students, educators, and artists from the two places would visit, collaborate, and learn from one another.