STORY: Cultural expo on ancient Silk Road attracts int'l participants
DATELINE: Sept. 6, 2023
LENGTH: 00:02:24
LOCATION: LANZHOU, China
CATEGORY: CULTURE/SOCIETY

SHOTLIST:
1. various of the 6th Silk Road (Dunhuang) International Cultural Expo
2. SOUNDBITE 1 (Chinese): PRONKINA OLGA, Russian professor at Gansu University of Political Science and Law
3. various of Dunhuang
4. SOUNDBITE 2 (Chinese): PRONKINA OLGA, Russian professor at Gansu University of Political Science and Law

STORYLINE:

The 6th Silk Road (Dunhuang) International Cultural Expo opened in northwest China's Dunhuang, along the ancient Silk Road, on Wednesday.

The two-day event aims to explore the essence of the Silk Road culture, promote civilization exchanges and the preservation of cultural heritage.

Among the 1,200-plus Chinese and foreign guests who attend the event is Pronkina Olga from Russia.

Olga has been fascinated by Dunhuang culture during her 14 years of studying and working in the Chinese city of Lanzhou.

SOUNDBITE 1 (Chinese): PRONKINA OLGA, Russian professor at Gansu University of Political Science and Law
"It was long before I came to China that I first learned about Dunhuang culture. It was in 2007 when I was still studying at a Russian university that I watched a dance show called The Thousand-hand Bodhisattva by a song and dance troupe from China. I thought the performance was superb.
In 2019, I decided to study Dunhuangology for a doctorate at Lanzhou University. As I learn more about Dunhuang culture, I've gained a deeper understanding of how extensive and profound Chinese culture is, and where the cultural confidence of Chinese comes from."

Olga was also amazed by the achievements made by China in the protection of its cultural heritage and relics over the past decade.

SOUNDBITE 2 (Chinese): PRONKINA OLGA, Russian professor at Gansu University of Political Science and Law
"Over the last 10 years, China has been doing increasingly well in cultural relic protection. The growing number of free museums satisfied people's diverse and multi-level cultural needs in an even better way."

Dunhuang is home to the Mogao Grottoes, a renowned UNESCO world heritage site boasting rich collections of Buddhist artwork. It boasts more than 2,000 colored sculptures and 45,000 square meters of murals in 735 caves along a cliff.

By the end of 2022, Dunhuang Academy had finished compiling a digital data collection on 278 caves, image processing for 164 of them, and the 3D reconstruction of 145 painted sculptures and seven ruins, while delivering a panoramic tour program for 162 caves.

Xinhua News Agency correspondents reporting from Lanzhou, China.
(XHTV)