Gansu introduces American youths to its past and future

At the Mogao Caves in Dunhuang, Northwest China's Gansu province, a nine-story wooden structure rises dramatically against the cliffside, sheltering a cave that houses a 35.5-meter-tall statue of Maitreya Buddha. The sheer scale of the site left Zoey Ashlyn Koehl, a student from Oklahoma City University, awestruck.

"That was insane," Koehl said after visiting the millennium-old UNESCO World Heritage site. "One of my friends said she almost started crying because it was so breathtaking."

It was Koehl's first visit to China. She was among 20 students and teachers from the University of Central Oklahoma and OCU who recently traveled to Dunhuang at the invitation of the foreign affairs office of the Gansu provincial government.

The group was the first US youth delegation invited to Gansu under China's 2026 initiative to host 100,000 young Americans for exchanges and study programs over the next five years. The program builds on a 2023 initiative that aimed to bring 50,000 young Americans to China, a target achieved ahead of schedule.

Gansu was an important passage along the ancient Silk Road, where merchants, envoys and monks carried goods and ideas across Asia and Europe. Its cultural heritage includes the Mogao Caves, renowned for their extensive Buddhist art, as well as historic sites and artifacts that bear witness to centuries of interaction among civilizations.

Michael Lynn Reeder was particularly impressed by the expressive poses of the sculptures and the richness of the murals at the Mogao Grottoes.

"I especially love coming here and seeing all the original works and everything that people have put so much time into," he said.

The UCO student observed that influences from different schools of thought and cultural communities over the centuries had helped shape the region's remarkable and diverse heritage.

Beyond the grottoes, the delegation rode camels across the dunes of Mingsha Mountain, a desert landmark near Dunhuang, and joined a multicultural flash mob beside Crescent Moon Spring, an oasis lake nestled among the sands.

"You get to imagine what it must have been like for people long ago," said OCU student Maison Elise Dolphin.

Briana Corazon Donovan, 22, said she was surprised to find that Dunhuang offered not only rich historical and cultural roots, but also "the energy and excitement of a modern city".

The group also visited an international cultural exhibition and toured a molten-salt solar thermal power station. At the plant, about 12,000 mirrors focus sunlight on a 260-meter-high tower, heating molten salt that is subsequently used to generate electricity. The plant can reduce carbon dioxide emissions by about 350,000 metric tons annually.

For Dillon Thomas Longey, Dunhuang's clean streets and clean energy left the strongest impression. The city, he said, combines a rich ancient heritage with extensive modern development.

He added that the local authorities' strong emphasis on renewable energy and clean resources was particularly important as the world moves toward a greener future.