China-Canada Cultural Dialogue Brings Ancient Silk Road Culture Alive through the "Dunhuang Showcase" (Ottawa Session) --Dunhuang Culture International Communication Center
Newsfile
July 15, 2026 2:41AM GMT
Ottawa, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - July 14, 2026) - A special cultural event highlighting the heritage and modern vitality of Dunhuang was held at the Chinese Embassy in Canada on June 25. The event brought together guests from political, academic, and cultural circles for an in-depth exchange on Silk Road civilization and the protection of cultural heritage.
The showcase was organized under the “‘Silk Road Millennium, Dunhuang for Humanity’ Global Communication Project for Dunhuang Culture” and the “Journey into Chinese Civilization: Global Dunhuang Cultural Dialogue” programs. Support for the event came from the Publicity Department of the CPC Gansu Provincial Committee, the Foreign Affairs Office of the People’s Government of Gansu Province, and the Gansu Provincial Department of Culture and Tourism. It was staffed and organized by the Dunhuang Academy, the Chinese Embassy in Canada, World Affairs Press, the Dunhuang Municipal People’s Government, Gansu Performing Arts Group Co., Ltd., and the Canada-China Culture Development Association.
To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit:
https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/8722/305088_241cc9d7c4360a90_001full.jpg
To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit:
https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/8722/305088_241cc9d7c4360a90_002full.jpg
With "Dunhuang on the Silk Road" as its central theme, the event brought together exhibition displays, academic discussion, stage performance, cultural workshops, and multimedia promotion—offering Canadian audiences a broad look at the artistic beauty and cross-cultural significance of Dunhuang.
To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit:
https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/8722/305088_241cc9d7c4360a90_003full.jpg
The exhibition drew on decades of research by the Dunhuang Academy, as well as its extensive digital resources from China's cave temple heritage sites. One section featured restored cultural relic displays and digital imagery related to major Silk Road sites, including Yang Pass and Yumen Pass, as well as the Mogao Caves, Maijishan Grottoes, and Yulin Caves. The display centered symbols such as Buddhas, flying apsaras, ancient architecture, folk patterns, and donor portraits—recreating the long history of trade, exchange, and cultural interaction along the Silk Road.
To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit:
https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/8722/305088_241cc9d7c4360a90_004full.jpg
A digital and immersive section offered two VR cave experiences, while linking visitors to the Digital Dunhuang database, the Digital Library Cave, and online Dunhuang platforms. Through multi-sensory and interactive technologies, the exhibition allowed visitors to see, hear, touch, and experience Dunhuang culture in new ways. Documentary screenings, including The Art of the Dunhuang Caves and Digital Dunhuang, showed how high-resolution documentation, virtual restoration, and digital sharing are being used to protect and present cultural heritage to global audiences.
Interactive programs also formed a key part of the event. Experiences such as "Searching for Dunhuang" and "Painting Murals in Dunhuang" invited visitors to engage directly with the stories behind the murals and to better understand the spirit of cultural exchange embodied in Dunhuang art.
To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit:
https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/8722/305088_241cc9d7c4360a90_005full.jpg
To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit:
https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/8722/305088_241cc9d7c4360a90_006full.jpg
A highlight of the program was the performance of "The Music of Dunhuang: Sounds of a Glorious Age." Rooted in ancient Dunhuang musical manuscripts, the production incorporated elements of music from Western China, India, and Europe. Musicians performed recreated instruments depicted in Dunhuang murals. Through music, dance, poetry, and visual art, the performance told the story of Silk Road musicians whose art crossed geography and blended diverse traditions, reflecting the openness and inclusiveness of Chinese civilization.
To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit:
https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/8722/305088_241cc9d7c4360a90_007full.jpg
To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit:
https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/8722/305088_241cc9d7c4360a90_008full.jpg
The academic exchange section featured a special lecture under the Global Dunhuang Cultural Dialogue program. Neil Schmid, an American researcher and distinguished research fellow of the Dunhuang Academy, delivered a lecture titled "Dunhuang and the Silk Road: A Shared Cultural Heritage Across Civilizations." His talk explored the history of the Silk Road, the art of the Dunhuang caves, digital protection of cultural relics, and the international communication of cultural heritage. The lecture was supported by multilingual simultaneous interpretation and live streamed to audiences around the world, helping build a regular channel for dialogue between Dunhuang studies communities in China and overseas.
To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit:
https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/8722/305088_241cc9d7c4360a90_009full.jpg
To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit:
https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/8722/305088_241cc9d7c4360a90_010full.jpg
Multilingual academic albums were also distributed to scholars and cultural enthusiasts attending the event. The publications included high-resolution images of the caves, professional research commentary and visual materials on the city of Dunhuang, combining scholarly value, artistic appreciation, and cultural significance.
Customized Dunhuang cultural workshops were opened to the public during the event. Activities including "Encountering the Colors of Dunhuang" and "Hand-copying Sutras" introduced participants to Eastern ideas of harmony, diversity, and coexistence. A city promotional film titled "Dunhuang: A Historic and Cultural City" was screened throughout the program, presenting Dunhuang's natural landscape, cultural heritage, and living folk traditions. The film also encouraged international audiences to better understand the value of Silk Road civilization and experience the appeal of "Dunhuang for Humanity."
On the media side, organizers worked with Chinese overseas media organizations, Gansu's official overseas social media network and mainstream Canadian media outlets to share the event through photos, short videos, live streaming, and other accessible formats. The campaign aimed to reach audiences across major social media and video platforms, especially younger viewers overseas, and to shift the communication of Dunhuang culture from one-way presentation toward two-way cultural engagement.
To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit:
https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/8722/305088_241cc9d7c4360a90_011full.jpg
Organizers said the Ottawa showcase used Dunhuang, a world cultural heritage site shared by humanity, as a bridge for exchange between China and Canada in heritage protection and mutual learning among civilizations. They said continued international communication around Dunhuang culture will help build a distinctive global cultural brand for China and strengthen people-to-people understanding through regular cultural exchange.
H. E. Wang Di, Chinese Ambassador to Canada; Yu Tianxiu, Vice President of the Dunhuang Academy; and Fu Hu, Member of the Standing Committee of the CPC Dunhuang Municipal Committee and Executive Vice Mayor of Dunhuang, attended the event.
Dunhuang Culture International Communication Center
Francis Lee
To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/305088
