The glasses-free 3D rendition publicity film is played in Lanzhou, Gansu province. [Photo/China News Service]

Amid the summer heat, the upcoming vacation season is fueling interest in Silk Road tours.

Gansu province, a major cultural tourism hub, has introduced a glasses-free 3D publicity film of a classic Dunhuang dance drama on large outdoor screens throughout bustling Lanzhou.

Using live-action filming, 3D post-production, and AI-assisted techniques, the display shows the character "Yingniang" from the dance drama Legend on the Silk Road dancing gracefully amid Dunhuang murals, appearing to leap out of the screen.

The Gansu Provincial Department of Culture and Tourism has also produced a VR version of Legend on the Silk Road, condensing the drama's highlights into several of the most exquisite dance sequences.

When viewers put on VR headsets, they feel as if they are on stage, able to observe even the subtlest changes in the dancers' expressions. The team behind the production also revealed plans for a 40-minute cinematic release of the drama, aiming to bring this classic work to a wider cinema audience.

A researcher from the Institute of History at the Gansu Academy of Social Sciences said that the core strength of the 3D outdoor dance display is the way it combines street spectacle and social transmission.

The researcher added that digital technologies like glasses-free 3D transform Silk Road aesthetics into low-context, high-empathy visual experiences, effectively breaking down language and cultural barriers for inbound tourists and inspiring deeper exploration of the local culture.

From the Digital Library Cave and Digital Dunhuang to the first immersive night tour at the Jiayuguan Great Wall, Gansu has rolled out a wide array of digital cultural tourism initiatives.