Cultural creative products from Dunhuang, Gansu province. [Photo/WeChat account: srdice]

Dunhuang continues to draw more young tourists eager to experience Silk Road culture. Tourist arrivals have risen yearly, with young visitors now making up the main group.

To bring Dunhuang culture beyond museums, Dunhuang Cultural Tourism Group has strengthened brand development and cross-sector collaborations with over 100 enterprises. Dunhuang Inspiration began licensing in 2022 and has partnered with 68 brands; Dunhuang Museum started licensing in 2025 and has partnered with 46 brands.

The two cultural brands have launched over 1,000 co-branded products, with authorized retail sales exceeding 1.5 billion yuan ($223.63 million) — 500 million yuan from Dunhuang Inspiration and 1 billion yuan from Dunhuang Museum.

Co-branded products have proved popular online, while Dunhuang's cultural products are also drawing shoppers to physical stores and markets. Dunhuang Press, Dunhuang Bookstore and Dunhuang Night Market have become popular shopping destinations, with smaller items such as camel dolls and Dunhuang-themed refrigerator magnets selling particularly well.

Local traditional crafts are also finding new audiences through new products and experiences. Clay-board painting practitioners have developed a range of cultural products and regularly offer hands-on workshops where visitors can try the craft themselves. Engraved-gold painting, meanwhile, is being incorporated into everyday products through partnerships with manufacturers. Titanium cups featuring Dunhuang murals and apsara motifs have proved particularly popular.

Through licensing, co-branding and product development, Dunhuang turns murals and Silk Road stories into consumable, portable cultural products for young people while promoting living heritage and boosting high-quality cultural tourism.