Visitors closely examine a display of art works. [Photo/xgs.newgscloud.com]

The 7th Silk Road (Dunhuang) International Cultural Expo spotlighted China's rich heritage with a blend of traditional art and modern creativity.

A series of exhibitions explored cultural exchanges along the ancient trade route.

Among the highlights was the Intangible Cultural Heritage and Cultural and Creative Products Exhibition, where iconic Dunhuang murals were reimagined through dough sculpture.

Made from wheat and glutinous rice flour, these lifelike figures — huxuan dancers, lotus-holding Bodhisattvas and music-playing birds — offered a vivid three-dimensional tribute to ancient wall paintings.

"It's both inheritance and innovation," said Yang Kai, a dough sculpture heritage inheritor from Pingliang, Gansu.

At the Dunhuang stone powder painting showcase, artisan Hou Yanghong demonstrated how minerals like malachite are hand-ground into fine powders to create rich pigments.

"Each stone yields multiple color grades — up to nine variations — essential for the enduring brilliance of Dunhuang murals," she explained while preparing paint in front of intrigued visitors.

The expo also featured a fine arts exhibition, presenting nearly 100 works by renowned artists, including those by Fan Di'an.

Students from Northwest Normal University's Dunhuang College visited in droves. "Gansu's role in Chinese art is profound. These works deepen students' artistic insight and cultural appreciation," said Wang Yufang, dean of the university's academy of fine and design.