Actors perform the immersive drama Ancient Sound of Dunhuang during the 20th China International Cultural Industries Fair in Shenzhen, Guangdong province. [Photo provided to silkroadexpo.gogansu.com]

China's largest cultural exhibition concluded on May 27 in Shenzhen, Guangdong province. Thousands of visitors explored the nation's rich cultural products, advanced technologies and achievements in cultural industries and international cultural trade.

In Gansu province's booth, the flash mob activity of the cultural play Ancient Sound of Dunhuang has brought immersive experience for the audience to experience the charm of the ancient culture of Dunhuang, Northwest China's Gansu province.

The immersive drama draws inspiration from the Mogao Grottoes, a UNESCO World Heritage Site boasting rich collections of Buddhist artworks, telling a story about a young man pursuing the true meaning of music. 

It is based on research into the ancient musical instruments and music scores featured either on the murals or in ancient manuscripts of the Library Cave, or Cave 17 of the Mogao Caves.

With the use of hologram technology, it involves instruments like the five-stringed pipa (a traditional lute), panpipe and lotus flower-shaped ruan (a plucked-string instrument), as well as various dances, such as huxuan, that originated in Central Asia and were popular during the Tang Dynasty (618-907).