The Gansu Bamboo Slips Museum and the cultural relics bureau of Dunhuang jointly launched interactive digital content related to the Dunhuang Ancient Road on Sept 1.

Focusing on Silk Road landmarks in Dunhuang, the digital experience recreates sites such as the Xuanquanzhi Ruins, Crescent Lake, Yangguan Pass, Yumen Pass, the Han Dynasty (206 BC-AD 220) Great Wall site and Hecang City Ruins in virtual settings.

Designed to appeal to younger audiences, the interactive content offers an engaging way to learn about Dunhuang and the history of the Silk Road.

As part of the "Digital Xuanquanzhi" project, the digital interactive content brings together sites associated with ancient post roads, mountain passes, beacon towers and frontier granaries.

Crescent Lake highlights the role of desert oases in supplying travelers along the Silk Road, while Yangguan and Yumen Passes illustrate the route's importance to transportation and frontier defense. The Han Dynasty Great Wall and Hecang City Ruins offer further insight into the border defenses and logistical systems that supported travel along the Silk Road.

The Xuanquanzhi Ruins in Dunhuang is China's largest and best-preserved Han Dynasty postal relay site and the only relay relic in the world heritage "Silk Roads: the Routes Network of Chang'an-Tianshan Corridor". Its unearthed bamboo slips and artifacts are being held at the Gansu Bamboo Slips Museum, home to China's largest Han bamboo slip collection.

The "Digital Xuanquanzhi" project aims to support the digital preservation of cultural heritage while providing new educational experiences for young people. According to Dunhuang's cultural relics bureau, the city will continue efforts to protect its cultural heritage while exploring new ways to introduce it to wider audiences.