A forum on cultural exchange and cooperation took place on Saturday as part of the 7th Silk Road (Dunhuang) International Cultural Expo in Gansu province.

Co-hosted by the Gansu Provincial Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) and Renmin University, the forum featured 26 speakers who discussed the preservation and innovative development of traditional culture.

Key speeches covered topics such as the creative transformation of Chinese traditional culture, revitalizing local development through art and multicultural integration in ancient Liangzhou (today's Wuwei city in Gansu province), with an eye on Dunhuang's historical role as a cultural hub of the Silk Road.

An expert from United Nations' tourism body, Jia Yunfengm, emphasized the need to present Dunhuang's culture in ways that resonate globally, suggesting it leverage its world heritage status to build an international cultural brand.

Zhuang Guotai, chairman of Gansu Provincial Committee of the CPPCC highlighted the Dunhuang Cultural Expo as a key platform for international exchange. He called for further development of the Dunhuang Research Academy as a leader in heritage protection and Dunhuang studies.