Dancers perform Dunhuang Quzi Opera at the Mingsha Mountain and Crescent Spring scenic spot. [Photo/WeChat account: dhswhg]

Dunhuang Quzi Opera, a national-level intangible cultural heritage, and Dunhuang folk songs, a provincial heritage, have made a joint appearance at two iconic sites — the Mingsha Mountain and Crescent Spring scenic spot and the bustling Dunhuang Night Market.

The live showcase offered Chinese and international visitors an immersive encounter with Silk Road culture.

The performance included classic Dunhuang Quzi Opera pieces as well as traditional folk songs. Artists in traditional attire performed in the local dialect, accompanied by folk instruments.

Their soulful melodies and unpolished acting vividly displayed Northwest China's folk customs, drawing many tourists to stop, listen and capture the scenes on camera while soaking up the Silk Road atmosphere.

As a historic Silk Road hub, Dunhuang's intangible heritage embodies centuries-old memories and a strong cultural spirit. Staging performances at scenic areas and night markets is a vivid practice under the city's cultural ecology reserve construction.

This approach breaks away from the confines of traditional transmission venues, allowing dormant cultural treasures to step out of their traditional enclosures and into the public eye, so tourists can deeply appreciate Dunhuang's intangible charm and Silk Road history.

In the future, Dunhuang will further advance cultural-tourism integration, innovate the transmission and communication of its intangible heritage, deepen the fusion with commerce and leisure, and introduce more distinctive cultural activities to promote the high-quality development of its cultural tourism industry.