"Cultural Heritage Leadership: Gathering in Dunhuang" 2025 Dunhuang Expo Shanghai Promotion Successfully Held
On the afternoon of March 20, 2025, the "Cultural Heritage Leadership: Gathering in Dunhuang" 2025 Dunhuang Expo Shanghai Promotion, organized by the Dunhuang Municipal People's Government and the Jiuquan City Bureau of Culture, Sports, Radio, Television, and Tourism, was successfully held at Changyang Creation Valley in Yangpu District, Shanghai. The event was undertaken by the Dunhuang Cultural Expo Affairs Center, Dunhuang Culture and Tourism Group Co., Ltd., and Dunhuang Cultural Heritage Investment Co., Ltd., and co-organized by Dunhuang Silk Road Rongtong International Travel Service Co., Ltd. and Shanghai Dunhuang Contemporary Art Museum.
The event was attended by distinguished guests including Wang Hao, Vice District Head of Yangpu District, Shanghai; Hu Lin, Deputy Director of the Publicity Department of Yangpu District Committee and Secretary of the Party Leadership Group and Director of the District Bureau of Culture and Tourism; Wang Haiming, Secretary of the Party Leadership Group and Chairman of Jiuquan Municipal CPPCC; Wang Yanqun, Member of the Standing Committee of Jiuquan Municipal Party Committee and Secretary of Dunhuang Municipal Party Committee; and Wei Mingchen, candidate for Vice Mayor of Dunhuang. Also present were representatives from associations, societies, and chambers of commerce in Shanghai, entrepreneurs and artists from the cultural and tourism sectors, and heads of departments and enterprises from Jiuquan and Dunhuang, as well as journalists from the media. The event aimed to promote Dunhuang's rich cultural and tourism resources and preferential policies through themed promotions, cooperation signings, and interactive exchanges. It invited business associations from across the country to hold conferences and exhibitions in Dunhuang, invest in its development, and achieve mutual benefits, further advancing the construction of the Greater Dunhuang Cultural and Tourism Economic Zone and injecting new vitality into the accelerated development of the "Two Cities and Two Capitals."
At the beginning of the event, participants watched the "Jiuquan City Promotion Video" and the "Dunhuang Expo Promotion Video," gaining an intuitive understanding of the unique charm of Jiuquan and Dunhuang. In his address, Wang Hao, Vice District Head of Yangpu District, Shanghai, noted that Yangpu and Dunhuang are connected by culture. With the establishment of the Dunhuang Contemporary Art Museum in Yangpu, the two regions are deeply integrating Dunhuang's profound Silk Road civilization with Yangpu's modern innovation, promoting the integration and value realization of cultural and tourism resources and better supporting the global reach of Dunhuang culture.
In his speech, Wang Yanqun, Secretary of the Dunhuang Municipal Party Committee and Member of the Standing Committee of Jiuquan Municipal Party Committee, warmly introduced Dunhuang. With over 2,100 years of history, Dunhuang is a place of wonder and rich cultural heritage. The world cultural heritage site of the Mogao Caves is a vast and rich artistic treasure trove. Since the discovery of the Library Cave in 1900, Dunhuang studies have gained global popularity. Today, the Silk Road (Dunhuang) International Cultural Expo has permanently settled in Dunhuang, cultural and creative IPs continue to decode traditional culture, and "Digital Dunhuang" showcases the charm of technology. The brand influence of "Dunhuang, the Heart of Humanity" continues to expand. Additionally, highways, EMU trains, and airports within Dunhuang are gradually being upgraded, with the opening of an international air port and over 30 air routes forming a cloud Silk Road. The "Dunhuang" rail-sea intermodal international train service has been launched, expanding trade to 28 countries and regions. The Ming沙 Mountain concert with ten thousand participants has become a huge hit, and the "Four Major Performances" have exceeded 2,300 shows. In 2024, Dunhuang received over 20 million visitors, accelerating the construction of the Greater Dunhuang Cultural and Tourism Economic Zone. Furthermore, Dunhuang is leveraging its "Expo Capital" development by issuing the "China Expo Dunhuang Declaration," implementing the "Three Supports and Two Rewards" policy, and establishing a 10 million yuan expo special fund and a 25 million yuan government-guided fund to create an international expo hub.
Wang Haiming, Secretary of the Party Leadership Group of Jiuquan Municipal CPPCC and Head of the Greater Dunhuang Cultural and Tourism Economic Zone Working Group, stated in his address that Jiuquan is focusing on its cultural revitalization strategy, vigorously promoting the construction of Dunhuang as an "Expo Capital" and "Cultural Innovation Capital," enhancing cultural advantages, and deepening its humanistic foundation. Dunhuang continues to amplify the effects of the Cultural Expo, improving its expo industry chain, strengthening enterprises, and achieving significant attraction outcomes. It has preliminarily established an expo industry system featuring "weekly major conferences, monthly major exhibitions, and year-round activities," creating a well-structured, orderly, and service-oriented development pattern. In the future, Jiuquan will strive to build new bridges for exchange and display for friends from all over the world and create new platforms for brilliant expos for national exhibitors.
During the partner representative speech session, Zhao Chao, Chairman of Shanghai Qitu Cultural Tourism Group Co., Ltd., shared the company's development journey and profound experiences in Dunhuang, highly recognizing Dunhuang's development potential and investment environment.
Subsequently, Wei Mingchen, candidate for Vice Mayor of Dunhuang, comprehensively promoted Dunhuang's expo resources. As the "throat lock and key" and "first pivot" of the Silk Road, Dunhuang boasts a profound historical and cultural foundation. The Mogao Caves, with their thousand-year murals and 266 precious cultural relics, inject soul into expo activities. The "Four Major Performances of Dunhuang," such as "Encountering Dunhuang Again," and new cultural landmarks like the Dunhuang Book Bureau, along with the upcoming Xuanquan Palace Ruins Scenic Area, provide rich cultural experiences for expo activities. Dunhuang's abundant tourism resources attracted 20.92 million visitors in 2024, a year-on-year increase of 24.3%, earning it the title of "China's Most Livable City—Annual 'Cultural Excellence' City." Located at the core of the Silk Road Economic Belt, Dunhuang boasts a comprehensive three-dimensional transportation network of highways, railways, and air routes. Dunhuang Mogao International Airport, with numerous routes and an annual passenger throughput exceeding 1.2 million, enjoys provincial-level development zone management and policy support as an international air port in Gansu (Dunhuang). The approval of air port visa services provides strong support for the transportation of expo materials and personnel mobility. Additionally, Dunhuang features a fully functional International Expo Center, Grand Theater, and International Hotel, with 1,200 hotels and guesthouses, over 50,000 beds, 130 meeting rooms of various types, and 214,000 square meters of indoor and outdoor exhibition space. The Phase II project of the International Expo Center will add 42,000 square meters of exhibition and conference space within the year. To attract expo projects, Dunhuang has introduced expo management measures, established special and guidance funds, and implemented the "Three Supports, Two Rewards" policy to create a world-class expo capital with the charm of Silk Road culture and international fashion.
Du Chenyan, Director of the Dunhuang Contemporary Art Museum, outlined the institution's operational philosophy and development plan in Shanghai. As a contemporary art platform rooted in Dunhuang culture, the museum is dedicated to innovative cultural translation, reconstructing contemporary narratives of traditional cultural resources within a global context. Its functional structure comprises four core dimensions: At the academic level, the museum annually curates two thematic exhibitions, accompanied by international academic forums and an international artist residency program to foster cross-cultural dialogue. In public education, leveraging Shanghai's advantages as an international metropolis, it establishes a university volunteer alliance, connects with primary and secondary school art education networks, and forms a collaborative innovation mechanism integrating industry, academia, and research. The digital center focuses on Dunhuang cultural content development, partnering with professional institutions like Beijing Han仪Font Library to create digital cultural assets. The sustainable development center encompasses international artist residencies, Dunhuang's green ecological protection initiatives, and living heritage transmission projects. Through academic research, public aesthetic education, digital technology, and sustainability programs, it empowers traditional aesthetics, building a world-class cultural platform bridging classical wisdom and modern civilization.
The event yielded fruitful outcomes, facilitating multiple strategic partnerships across the entire expo industry chain. The signing adopted an innovative mechanism of "government guidance + market operation," promoting deep integration of expo resources and industrial elements, injecting new momentum into the construction of the Silk Road Cultural and Economic Belt. Industry leaders in smart tourism, cultural and creative development, and educational technology officially joined the Silk Road (Dunhuang) Expo Alliance, signaling the establishment of an eco-collaborative network spanning regions and industries. This further strengthens resource linkage and industrial coordination, supporting the high-quality development of the Silk Road Economic Belt.
In addition to thematic promotions, cooperation signings, interactive exchanges, and promotional video screenings, the main venue featured display stands for Dunhuang scenic spots, flight routes, and performances. Through exquisite showcases and engaging explanations, participants were introduced to the profound heritage and unique charm of Dunhuang culture, showcasing its modern legacy and innovative development, and allowing guests to experience the distinctive allure of Silk Road culture.
Post-event, guests toured the Dunhuang Contemporary Art Museum, gaining a more intuitive understanding of its innovative concepts and rich content. Officially opened on November 11, 2024, the Shanghai Dunhuang Contemporary Art Museum is not only a new cultural landmark in Shanghai but also a milestone in the modern transformation of traditional Chinese culture. By integrating art and technology, bridging history and the present, and connecting the local with the global, it enriches Shanghai's cultural fabric and opens a window for the world to understand the multifaceted Chinese civilization.
The successful hosting of the 2025 Dunhuang Expo Shanghai Promotion further strengthens exchanges and cooperation between Dunhuang, Shanghai, and other regions, injecting new vitality into the development of Dunhuang's expo industry, promoting the integration of cultural and tourism resources, and supporting the construction of the Greater Dunhuang Cultural and Tourism Economic Zone. It also builds an important platform for more people to learn about and visit Dunhuang.