Northwest Normal University presents its original dance drama in Singapore. [Photo/China News Service]

Students at Northwest Normal University (NWNU) are breathing new life into Dunhuang, bringing the millennia-old grotto art to the world stage.

The university's original dance drama Dunhuang Imprint has been performed five times in Singapore this year, attracting nearly 5,000 live viewers and over 250,000 online spectators, turning murals into moving performances.

Student Zhao Yuru expressed her honor at the chance to perform Dunhuang dance in Singapore and serve as a cultural ambassador. In 2025, NWNU's practice team visited Dunhuang to engage in fieldwork and participate in immersive experiences.

The university also strives to cultivate interdisciplinary talent. At a youth dialogue during the 8th Silk Road (Dunhuang) International Cultural Expo, teacher Su Ruixuan taught dance poses to eager young guests from ASEAN.

NWNU has also built a number of platforms, including a media internship base that was launched with Dunhuang's international communication center in October 2025. An international media tour brought together journalists from South Korea, Pakistan, Spain, and elsewhere that same month.

In November, a joint postgraduate school was established with Dunhuang and the Dunhuang Academy, alongside a Sino-French lab for cultural heritage science and protection.

Global outreach data shows that the 8th Silk Road (Dunhuang) International Cultural Expo reached over 170 million people, overseas social media followers neared one million, and the Digital Dunhuang Resource Library was visited more than one billion times.

Zhang Jinyao, vice president of NWNU, said that the university encourages young students to not only protect and promote but also push forward the development of Dunhuang culture.